Friday, February 17, 2012

Green Beans with Bacon and Bleu Cheese



I love making green beans this way... the salty bacon pieces, the heat from the red pepper, and the creamy bleu cheese is the perfect balance. Only one pan is used to make this side dish, as the beans are steamed/sauteed in the same skillet you use for the bacon. Easy clean-up, only a few ingredients, and done in about 8 to 10 minutes!

Here's what you need:



  • about 10 oz. fresh green beans, trimmed
  • 4 slices of bacon, diced
  • 1/4 c. water (not shown)
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 to 3/4 tsp. (to your taste) crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/3 c. crumbled bleu cheese
On the stove top, preheat a large skillet to medium heat. Add the diced bacon and cook until crisp. Remove the bacon and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to allow any excess grease to be absorbed.



Reserve about 1 tbsp. of bacon grease in the skillet.



Add the beans and the water to the skillet. Cover with a lid, and allow to steam for 3 to 5 minutes, or until just tender. Remove lid, season beans with a pinch of salt and the crushed red pepper. Saute for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Add the bacon pieces back to the skillet, and saute for an additional 1 to 2 minutes. The water in the pan should have evaporated, and the beans should be tender. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with bleu cheese. Serves 3.







This recipe is linked to The Country Cook's "Weekend Potluck"



8 comments:

  1. Wow, does this sound yummy! I pinned it so I'll know where to find it. I'm new here from Cheri's party. I'm now following you on LF & hope you will follow me back!
    CAS

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  2. What a great recipe! I love green beans for their versatility, you have a great mix of flavors here

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  3. I have been linky followers blog hopping for two days and I am loving it. I have met so many amazing and talented people like you. I am now following you on linky and would love a follow back.

    My Turn (for us)
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    Thanks, I so enjoyed the visit!

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  4. I love these green beans, they sound delicious. Bacon always makes everything taste better and I love bleu cheese.

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  5. I have never used blue cheese with green beans before...what an interesting combination of all the flavors!!
    thanks.
    I am your newest follower..pls follow back if you can.

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  6. Hi Adele! Thanks so much for stopping by and following. I'm here, happily following back! Green beans are probably my favorite veggie. I've made them with bacon or pancetta many times, but never tried them with bleu cheese, too. Sounds delicious! (That pink lemonade pie in the post below looks heavenly too!)

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  7. Wow! That looks amazing! Never would have thought to combine the three, but I love them all, so I'm definitely going to give this a try! Thanks for stopping by and following! Gladly following you back on you're cool blog via linky! xo-Lisa

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  8. This looks soooo good! I'm going to love following you!

    Thanks so much for following Mom’s Best Nest . I am now your happy follower and look forward to reading your posts.

    I was so touched by your message and would love to correspond with you if you'd like. I can't imagine losing the father of your children, but I can certainly relate to some of what you're going through.

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I appreciate your comments and look forward to every one of them!