# Veggie Ideas for Thanksgiving?



## MuranoJo (Nov 11, 2013)

As normal, we're hosting the extended family here for Thanksgiving.
I'd love ideas for veggie side dishes which aren't as starchy as the green bean casserole, for instance.  

What's your favorite?


----------



## falmouth3 (Nov 11, 2013)

I slowly saute onions and carrots in butter.  After they caramelize, they are so sweet and tender.  One of my favorites.  You can also pop them in the oven with your turkey or roast to finish cooking.


----------



## MULTIZ321 (Nov 11, 2013)

Hi Muranojo,


We like the Moosewood Cookbook's Cauliflower Cheese Pie



Richard


----------



## CO skier (Nov 11, 2013)

muranojo said:


> As normal, we're hosting the extended family here for Thanksgiving.
> I'd love ideas for veggie side dishes which aren't as starchy as the green bean casserole, for instance.
> 
> What's your favorite?



Mashed potatoes are starchy.

Yams with marshmallows are starchy.

Squash is starchy.

What is starchy about green beans?  If anything, they are the anti-starch food.  (Plus it just isn't Thanksgiving dinner without the green bean, mushroom soup, dried onion ring casserole.  Even the Pilgrims made it).


----------



## MuranoJo (Nov 11, 2013)

CO skier said:


> Mashed potatoes are starchy.
> 
> Yams with marshmallows are starchy.
> 
> ...



Green beans are one of my favorite veggies.  However, once you add the mushroom soup, dried onions, etc., well, it turns into a casserole.  Looking for something that's less 'heavy' that complements all the starchy sides like the mashers, yams, and squash you mention.

But I hear ya about the traditions.  Tonight my sis was aghast that I'm thinking of tossing the green bean casserole this year.  

P.S.  Thanks for the suggestions so far!


----------



## Quilter (Nov 12, 2013)

I love to roast green beans.   They come out so tasty that many of us grab them off our plates like a finger food.   Roll out the beans in a large 13x9 pan with olive oil, garlic chopped fine enough to roast in 20 - 35 minutes.   Onion if you wish.   Salt and I use Braggs seasoning.   Maybe a light touch of turmeric.  I mix all this well and spread it evenly on the bottom of the pan.   Roast at 350.  The timing will depend on how much browning you want.   We like them soft and browned on the topsides.   

I use same method for broccoli and cauliflower although I would suggest covering these for some of the roasting time.


----------



## Elan (Nov 12, 2013)

What about asparagus? Lightly sauteed & seasoned, or roasted. Seems like it fits the "light" description perfectly.


----------



## lvhmbh (Nov 12, 2013)

Burnt green beans - very easy to make - google the recipe for burnt green beans with onion.  I first had them in a restaurant and they are sooo good AND easy.


----------



## MichaelColey (Nov 12, 2013)

Bacon Wrapped Green Beans

Cut bacon into thirds, put a few green beans pieces in each, wrap them up, pepper them, and bake them at 400 for 10-15 minutes.


----------



## Twinkstarr (Nov 12, 2013)

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Shallots & Garlic from Cooking Light(you could find it at MYRECIPES.com)


----------



## wackymother (Nov 12, 2013)

Vegetarian...she wants vegetarian. Bacon is not vegetarian, despite the fact that it's meat candy. 

How about 

oven-roasted vegetables with olive oil
brussels sprouts or broccoli sauteed in a pan with a little oil and garlic, and a bit of soy sauce and sesame seeds
creamed spinach
balsamic vegetables
fancy green salad with nuts and goat cheese
marinated artichoke hearts
toasted cheese ravioli (they're good as appetizers, but starchy of course)
pickles
cucumber salad--every time we have this I find I've forgotten how good it is!


----------



## SMHarman (Nov 12, 2013)

MichaelColey said:


> Bacon Wrapped Green Beans
> 
> Cut bacon into thirds, put a few green beans pieces in each, wrap them up, pepper them, and bake them at 400 for 10-15 minutes.





Twinkstarr said:


> Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Shallots & Garlic from Cooking Light(you could find it at MYRECIPES.com)



Not very Veggie, but you could use Veggie Bacon I guess.

But Sprouts are a great thanksgiving offering, you can also chop them finely and saute with butter and olive oil with a little salt and pepper, maybe some chilli flakes.


----------



## SMHarman (Nov 12, 2013)

Carrots, Parsnips, Zucchini, Beets, squash and other hardy vegetables tossed in olive oil and then roasted.


----------



## spirits (Nov 12, 2013)

*Am making this for Xmas dinner*

http://food52.com/recipes/19730-butternut-squash-brussels-sprout-and-bread-stuffing-with-apples

Missed this for our Canadian Thanksgiving but will try it for xmas


----------



## rleigh (Nov 12, 2013)

Asparagus, red onions, and mushrooms, sauteed to your liking. Toss with garlic powder, salt, fresh lemon juice. (Or whatever seasonings you prefer.) Garnish with lemon slices. Serve.


----------



## SueDonJ (Nov 12, 2013)

I like having a couple plain steamed veggies to balance all the starches and heavy foods but the problem is getting them on the table when perfectly cooked.  No matter how many times I try, it seems like they either end up overcooked or cold by the time everything else is in place.


----------



## CO skier (Nov 12, 2013)

muranojo said:


> Green beans are one of my favorite veggies.



How about green bean almandine?

In a glass bowl, melt 2 tablespoons butter in the microwave.  Add 1/2 cup sliced almonds and mix well.  Microwave on high for 90-120 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds to keep from burning.  Be careful, because that glass dish will get hot (don't use any kind of plastic dish).

Let the almonds cool for a few minutes, then toss with about 1 pound heated green beans.  (If you have some dried cranberries, mix some with the green beans before heating).


----------



## Big Matt (Nov 12, 2013)

1) slice about 24 Brussels sprouts in half, roast in olive oil, salt, and pepper in casserole pan.  Toss with fresh dill and lemon juice and zest of one lemon.

2) Quarter four medium red onions.  Quarter/slice four fennel bulbs.  Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Roast in oven in casserole pan.  Sprinkle with dried tarragon during the last ten minutes of cooking.


----------



## Passepartout (Nov 12, 2013)

Twinkstarr said:


> Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Shallots & Garlic from Cooking Light(you could find it at MYRECIPES.com)



                   ^^^This^^^


----------



## MuranoJo (Nov 13, 2013)

Lots of wonderful suggestions and I want to try them all!  A few comments below:



SueDonJ said:


> I like having a couple plain steamed veggies to balance all the starches and heavy foods but the problem is getting them on the table when perfectly cooked.  No matter how many times I try, it seems like they either end up overcooked or cold by the time everything else is in place.



Bingo!  What I was trying to say and didn't do it well I guess is that I wanted some simple, somewhat plain veggies to balance all the 'heavy' starches that are so dominant.  We've fixed roasted asparagus (a hit), peas & mushrooms (so-so and still starchy), and of course the typical green bean casserole before.  



CO skier said:


> How about green bean almandine?
> 
> In a glass bowl, melt 2 tablespoons butter in the microwave.  Add 1/2 cup sliced almonds and mix well.  Microwave on high for 90-120 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds to keep from burning.  Be careful, because that glass dish will get hot (don't use any kind of plastic dish).
> 
> Let the almonds cool for a few minutes, then toss with about 1 pound heated green beans.  (If you have some dried cranberries, mix some with the green beans before heating).



This sounds good, and you don't have to take up oven space.  I always wish I had double ovens this time of the year.
Also like Big Matt's suggestion of the brussels sprouts--even tried roasting some today to try this out and they were pretty good.

Again, love all the suggestions, so thanks all!


----------



## Don (Nov 13, 2013)

It's a family tradition to have collards.  We've been getting the bagged and already chopped from the grocery store.  
I pick out the excess stems and bad leaves while a large pot of salted starts to boil. I add about four slices of bacon to the water (in pieces,  You can pre-cook the bacon if you don't want the excess fat).  Add in about a cup of chopped onion to the collard leaves when you put them in the boiling water and sprinkle on some garlic powder.  Cover and stir as needed. 
Add more water if needed.
These can be pre-made and frozen until needed.


----------



## ace2000 (Nov 13, 2013)

SMHarman said:


> Sprouts are a great thanksgiving offering, you can also chop them finely and saute with butter and olive oil with a little salt and pepper, maybe some chilli flakes.



One of our Thanksgiving favorites and they always go quickly!  Great idea for a thread by the way, and I see some we're going to have to try.


----------



## pjrose (Nov 13, 2013)

I like my veggies to taste like veggies, lightly cooked, with perhaps a tad of butter and a bit of salt or seasoning.  No marshmallows, cream of whatever soup, etc.  (one exception - carrots with brown sugar)

I would:

bake (microwave) sweet potatoes or yams, and cut them in half.  
microwave tiny brussels sprouts in a small amount of water for no more than 2-3 minutes, drain and add a bit of butter and seasoned salt
microwave super-fresh green beans for 3 minutes, maybe 4, drain, and add butter and perhaps some slivered almonds
Asparagus - either microwave thin-thin asparagus briefly and add butter + salt, OR roast thin or thick.  Look up http://www.cookinglight.com/food/top-rated-recipes/five-star-sides-00400000036960/page8.html - sooooo gooood. 
microwave whole or halved (lengthwise) baby-cut carrots with some water for about 5 minutes, drain and add about a TBS or so of butter, ditto brown sugar, and optionally a little mustard
If I were feeling more energetic, I'd roast a mixture of cubed sweet potatoes, whole garlic (lots), and thick-sliced onion, doused with olive oil, s&p, and thyme.


----------



## DebBrown (Nov 13, 2013)

spirits said:


> http://food52.com/recipes/19730-butternut-squash-brussels-sprout-and-bread-stuffing-with-apples
> 
> Missed this for our Canadian Thanksgiving but will try it for xmas



I make a butternut squash and apple casserole.  It can be starchy if you add flour or oats etc to make a crumbly crust.  Just cut up a butternut squash and and apple in a greased 9x12 pan.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg and either sugar or Splenda depending on how many calories you want to add. Bake for an hour at 350.

Deb


----------



## SueDonJ (Nov 13, 2013)

Here's my sister-in-law's recipe for carrots.  Simple to put together and leave simmering on the back of the stove, adds a lot of flavor yet is still a "light" (but not diet!) option:

2 lbs carrots, sliced round
3 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 large onion, chopped
3/4 c white wine
1/3 c sugar
1/2 stick butter
2-1/2 tsp dill weed

Throw it all in the pot and simmer.  I usually multiply for 5 lbs of carrots and will sometimes substitute veg stock for the wine.


----------



## SueDonJ (Nov 13, 2013)

While I'm here, does anyone have a recipe for jellied cranberry sauce?  I have a ton of cranberries left over from making jams but nobody here will eat a cranberry sauce that doesn't look like it comes from the can.


----------



## MULTIZ321 (Nov 13, 2013)

SueDonJ said:


> While I'm here, does anyone have a recipe for jellied cranberry sauce?  I have a ton of cranberries left over from making jams but nobody here will eat a cranberry sauce that doesn't look like it comes from the can.



Sue,

My wife and I have enjoyed this recipe. We used Sugar rather than honey.

http://www.pickyourown.org/jelliedcranberrysauce.htm

Guten appetit!


Richard


----------



## Twinkstarr (Nov 13, 2013)

Passepartout said:


> ^^^This^^^



Six slices of center cut bacon for 1 1/2 lb of sprouts. Serving size 2/3 cup, 90 calories.

Hey I've lost 70 lbs using recipes like this and Weight Watchers and have kept it off for 3 yrs. 


Ball is back in your court Jim!


----------



## SueDonJ (Nov 13, 2013)

MULTIZ321 said:


> Sue,
> 
> My wife and I have enjoyed this recipe. We used Sugar rather than honey.
> 
> ...



Thanks, Richard!  I think I'll try a small batch this weekend then a larger one for canning next week if it works out.


----------



## heathpack (Nov 13, 2013)

We make green beans all the time.  Prep, cut crosswise into 1-2 inch pieces.  Boil in salted water for 5-7 min.  Drain, toss with butter and (if you have some) fresh herb of your choice, salt & pepper.

Easy enough to do while your lovely assistants are carrying the other dishes to the table.

H


----------



## Carol C (Nov 13, 2013)

Have you ever had delicata squash? Try it roasted in olive oil with an apple cider glaze and carmelized onions. Yummy...and even better than butternut squash.


----------



## vacationhopeful (Nov 13, 2013)

Stream VERY fresh cauliflower and sprinkle it with "4-cheese" pizza cheese - fresh is the flavor.


----------



## amycurl (Nov 13, 2013)

For simple green veggies, I love sauteed spinach (with a little balsamic.) 

In regards to timing, I find that doing the green veggies right at the *very* end, when everything else is done and someone is carving the turkey (to put onto a platter,) it is perfect. If you do the prep of the veggies in advance, most of this simple recipes take less than 5 minutes to cook. 

Also, steaming green beans, broccoli and the like in the microwave (with almost no water,) will make sure that the nutrients stay in the veggies (and not end up in the water afterwards.) Plus, it frees up stove and oven space, and you can just hit the minute button at the very last moment....

My f-i-l is a pescatarian, and a big health nut. We've *never* had traditional green bean or broccoli casserole. While some of the starchier dishes can be not-so-light, all of the green veggies need to be. 

We've also done the fancy green salad as a side. Adding apples, dried cranberries, pomegranate seeds (my favorite!), and canned-in-juice and drained mandarin oranges really make a green salad festive and special. A little local goat or feta cheese can make it pop! Toss with a light, homemade, vinaigrette (use maple syrup or jam as the "sweet" in it to really make it festive.)


----------



## MuranoJo (Nov 14, 2013)

SueDonJ said:


> While I'm here, does anyone have a recipe for jellied cranberry sauce?  I have a ton of cranberries left over from making jams but nobody here will eat a cranberry sauce that doesn't look like it comes from the can.



Sue, my MIL makes a wonderful homemade cranberry sauce which I asked her to contribute to dinner again.  It's part whole 'squashed' berry and part jelled sauce so to speak and we all love it.  Too late now, but I'll try to post it later tomorrow as an additional idea.


----------



## MuranoJo (Nov 14, 2013)

amycurl said:


> In regards to timing, I find that doing the green veggies right at the *very* end, when everything else is done and someone is carving the turkey (to put onto a platter,) it is perfect. If you do the prep of the veggies in advance, most of this simple recipes take less than 5 minutes to cook.



And there's one of my issues, (besides only one oven), once the turkey comes out of the oven, I start the sides in the oven and focus on making the gravy.  And I do a great job on the gravy.    So I'm not sure I want to get too distracted with other sides at that time.  I'm tempted to do some of the roasted veggies a day ahead and refrigerate, then reheat and see how that works.


----------



## MuranoJo (Nov 14, 2013)

SueDonJ said:


> While I'm here, does anyone have a recipe for jellied cranberry sauce?  I have a ton of cranberries left over from making jams but nobody here will eat a cranberry sauce that doesn't look like it comes from the can.



Sue, turns out my MIL simply uses the recipe she found on the cranberry bag.     I believe this is it here.


----------



## pjrose (Nov 15, 2013)

SueDonJ said:


> While I'm here, does anyone have a recipe for jellied cranberry sauce?  I have a ton of cranberries left over from making jams but nobody here will eat a cranberry sauce that doesn't look like it comes from the can.



clean out an empty can, melt your jam a bit, put it in the can and chill.  Take off the bottom of the can and push out the "canned" jam, complete with the lines from the can.


----------



## pjrose (Nov 15, 2013)

MichaelColey said:


> Bacon Wrapped Green Beans
> 
> Cut bacon into thirds, put a few green beans pieces in each, wrap them up, pepper them, and bake them at 400 for 10-15 minutes.



That sounds like a good way to get DSIL to eat a green vegetable


----------



## csxjohn (Nov 15, 2013)

My favorite is steamed brussels sprouts, plain, nothing added.  I started having them on turkey day when I used to grow them and there were still some left on the stalks that time of year.  They are very hardy and can take some light frost and snow.

We now have to buy them and we do add a little margarine to them because they are not as sweet and tender as home grown.


----------



## pjrose (Nov 17, 2013)

*I must have done something wrong.....*



MichaelColey said:


> Bacon Wrapped Green Beans
> 
> Cut bacon into thirds, put a few green beans pieces in each, wrap them up, pepper them, and bake them at 400 for 10-15 minutes.





pjrose said:


> That sounds like a good way to get DSIL to eat a green vegetable



The bacon and veggies (I used both green beans and thin asparagus) weren't done, even with an extra 10 or so minutes, and DSIL managed to slip the bacon (even under-done) off of his bundle without eating anything green 

Cutting in thirds - lengthwise into ribbons, or crosswise into fat rectangles?  If fat rectangles, how does it stay wrapped?  

Do you put the bundles on a rack?  Do you pre-cook the bacon and vegs a little bit first?  

Does the bacon come out crispy?


----------



## pjrose (Nov 17, 2013)

csxjohn said:


> My favorite is steamed brussels sprouts, plain, nothing added.  I started having them on turkey day when I used to grow them and there were still some left on the stalks that time of year.  They are very hardy and can take some light frost and snow.
> 
> We now have to buy them and we do add a little margarine to them because they are not as sweet and tender as home grown.



20+ years ago the ONLY thing DS, then maybe four, would eat at Thanksgiving was brussels sprouts.  The ones we grew came out very tiny, maybe the size of cherries or smaller.  He snarfed up the few we put on his plate, and liked them so much we all passed our servings along to him.


----------



## Lou (Nov 17, 2013)

*Three Bean Salad*

We always have three bean salad, instead of the green bean casserole.  It's tasty and is better when prepared a day or two before eating...which is always a plus for Thanksgiving.


----------



## spirits (Nov 17, 2013)

*Who does their turkey ahead?*

My friend always has a large group for Thanksgiving....she was bemoaning that fact that her husband is always carving the turkey in the kitchen while she is doing the sides...... and getting in her way.
My response was don't you do your turkey ahead of time?

I thought everyone did it that way (;  I love dressing ( make it on the side) and so do turkey the day before, save the juice for dressing the next day and just lightly reheat the turkey once it has been carved the day before.  Saves a lot of time, mess and aggravation...plus gives me more oven space since we are only using the turkey that we need for the day. The rest has been put in the back of the fridge for mmmmmmturkey sandwiches, turkey leftovers, turkey soup, turkey well anything turkey related...

I thought everyone did this.  She was amazed, tried it and thanked me the next day (;  I was her hero (;  Then I spoke to a couple of other people who never cooked their turkey ahead and tried it just this year.  One person gave me a hint (from a caterer) to cover the turkey with lettuce leaves to keep the meat from drying out.  I just have some juice in the bottom of the pan saved from the day before but will try the lettuce trick next year... I live in Canada.


----------



## spirits (Nov 17, 2013)

*Sorry, did not mean to hijack*

I got so excited about turkey I forgot to put this in its own thread.  Sorry


----------



## MuranoJo (Nov 18, 2013)

That's ok, some of us followed you over there to continue the discussion--after all, the whole topic can go very deep.


----------



## MichaelColey (Nov 18, 2013)

wackymother said:


> Vegetarian...she wants vegetarian. Bacon is not vegetarian, despite the fact that it's meat candy.


Sorry, I read that as veggie (i.e. something with vegetables in it) rather than vegetarian.  This is my idea of a veggie dish:








pjrose said:


> The bacon and veggies (I used both green beans and thin asparagus) weren't done, even with an extra 10 or so minutes, and DSIL managed to slip the bacon (even under-done) off of his bundle without eating anything green
> 
> Cutting in thirds - lengthwise into ribbons, or crosswise into fat rectangles?  If fat rectangles, how does it stay wrapped?
> 
> ...


We always used canned green beans, so they're basically already soft/cooked.  We usually just put a few pieces of green beans in each 1/3 piece of bacon (cut the short way, not into ribbons).  If you put too much in, it's too tempting to just slip the bacon off and eat it.    It does come out crispy.  If you put the end of the bacon strip down, it should hold.  You can use toothpicks, too, but that takes more work to eat.

When I google for pictures of bacon wrapped green beans, this picture looks the most like the ones we do (although we typically use a little less green beans):


----------



## CO skier (Nov 18, 2013)

MichaelColey said:


> We always used canned green beans, ...





It takes only 6-8 minutes in boiling water to cook fresh green beans.  If fresh green beans are not in season, then frozen (thawed) would be an acceptable option.  The end results will taste like green beans, not the indescribable flavor of canned green beans (even the best bacon cannot do anything for it).

The following is too much for a Thanksgiving dinner, but the picture gave me a great idea for a dinner party appetizer in the near future.  Take the (boiled) fresh green beans, wrap with the bacon and secure with toothpicks.  Dunk them in a deep fryer at 350F for a few minutes until the bacon reaches the desired doneness.  Drain on paper towels, and remove the toothpicks; keep warm in an oven until ready to serve.  Further experimentation will involve lightly coating the bacon wrapped green beans with tempura batter before deep frying (especially important to remove the toothpicks from these before serving, since they may be hidden by the cooked tempura coating).


----------



## pjrose (Nov 19, 2013)

CO skier said:


> It takes only 6-8 minutes in boiling water to cook fresh green beans.  If fresh green beans are not in season, then frozen (thawed) would be an acceptable option.  The end results will taste like green beans, not the indescribable flavor of canned green beans (even the best bacon cannot do anything for it).
> 
> The following is too much for a Thanksgiving dinner, but the picture gave me a great idea for a dinner party appetizer in the near future.  Take the (boiled) fresh green beans, wrap with the bacon and secure with toothpicks.  Dunk them in a deep fryer at 350F for a few minutes until the bacon reaches the desired doneness.  Drain on paper towels, and remove the toothpicks; keep warm in an oven until ready to serve.  Further experimentation will involve lightly coating the bacon wrapped green beans with tempura batter before deep frying (especially important to remove the toothpicks from these before serving, since they may be hidden by the cooked tempura coating).



Are you serious about deep-frying bacon, and then battering it and deep-frying it again?  Or battering and deep-frying raw bacon?  Eeeeekkkkk, I can't imagine all that fat!  

DH grew up on canned green beans; it took years to get him to appreciate fresh veggies.  Now he does, though he cooks them a minute or two longer than I do.  

It seems to me that bacon takes longer to cook to crispness than it takes to cook fresh veggies, so if you cook the boiled (or steamed) fresh beans first, then wouldn't they be mush by the time bacon is crisp?  

Maybe the answer is to skip the presentation, and just sprinkle crisp crumbled bacon on the cooked veggies.  Or...hmmm.....wrap the bacon around the veggies (raw or maybe blanched) and then microwave it?  We haven't used one of those microwave bacon trays or hangers for years, but they worked well.  

This calls for some experimentation


----------



## heathpack (Nov 19, 2013)

pjrose said:


> Are you serious about deep-frying bacon, and then battering it and deep-frying it again?  Or battering and deep-frying raw bacon?  Eeeeekkkkk, I can't imagine all that fat!
> 
> DH grew up on canned green beans; it took years to get him to appreciate fresh veggies.  Now he does, though he cooks them a minute or two longer than I do.
> 
> ...



We had some friends bring bacon-wrapped cheese-stuffed jalapeños to a BBQ.  They pre-prepped the peppers with the cheese and bacon, then grilled them a few minutes at the BBQ.  I was amazed at how quickly the bacon crisped up.  Their secret?  Pre-cooked bacon from Costco- which apparently has two features which make it perfect for this application: 1. It is very thinly sliced and 2. It is pliable despite being precooked so you can still wrap it around cheese-stuffed jalapeños.  



H


----------



## glypnirsgirl (Nov 19, 2013)

*tangy and delicious!*

This recipe is from the Sonoma Diet --- it can easily be converted to microwave instead of stove top.

BRUSSEL SPROUTS WITH PROSCIUTTO

Serves 4
12 ounces Brussels sprouts 
 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 
 2 ounces prosciutto, Canadian-style bacon, or lean cooked ham, chopped 
 1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel 
 1 tablespoon lemon juice 
 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 
 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

Instructions

1. Trim stems and remove any wilted outer leaves from Brussels sprouts. Halve any large Brussels sprouts. In a covered large saucepan cook Brussels sprouts in enough boiling lightly salted water to cover for 7 to 9 minutes or just until tender. Drain well. 
2. Add oil to same saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat. Add Brussels sprouts, prosciutto, lemon peel, lemon juice, kosher salt, and pepper. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes or until coated and heated through

This is tangy and delicious --- it is a great counterpoint to the turkey and dressing.


----------



## CO skier (Nov 19, 2013)

pjrose said:


> Or battering and deep-frying raw bacon?  Eeeeekkkkk, I can't imagine all that fat!



Yes, it is not something one would want to make on a regular basis -- maybe just twice a year for extra special occasions.

My original composition contained an additional paragraph describing how to turn this from an appetizer into a side dish:

"Place the tempura fried baco-beans in a serving dish.  Sprinkle a reasonable amount of sharp cheddar cheese over, and heat in a 400F oven until the cheese is about half melted."

... but I did not want to give anyone a coronary just from reading it.  (I will be preparing this dish, though, just for experimental purposes.  I have cooked baby bella mushrooms this way [no, they are not bacon-wrapped], and they are fantastic).




pjrose said:


> It seems to me that bacon takes longer to cook to crispness than it takes to cook fresh veggies, so if you cook the boiled (or steamed) fresh beans first, then wouldn't they be mush by the time bacon is crisp?



If the oil is kept at the proper temperature (350F, in this case) the outside gets crisp and the inside stays moist and tender.  Think about those potato cakes in the fast food establishments; they are made from cooked potatoes.  If anything, the green beans will get too dry, not mushy, in which case I will experiment will par-boiling the beans for less time.  It would seem to me to be a bigger risk of "mushiness" when wrapping canned beans with bacon and baking in an oven.

For the bacon, I will not start with the thick-cut version in the picture, but will use the thin-cut Oscar Meyer Center Cut Bacon.

Bon appétit


P.S.  I may have spent too much time with my son's Boy Scout troop.  Over a 4-day trip, they consumed and average of 1 pound of bacon -- each.  They must have been eating bacon-wrapped bacon.

P.P.S.  Deep-frying done right is not as fatty as some people may think.  Just a guess, but I imagine that on a weight-by-weight, and certainly a serving size by serving size, comparison the tempura fried baco-beans would have a lower saturated fat and total fat content than the average "pig in a blanket" with a hot dog or sausage wrapped and baked in a Pillsbury crescent roll.


----------



## MichaelColey (Nov 19, 2013)

CO skier said:


> It takes only 6-8 minutes in boiling water to cook fresh green beans.  If fresh green beans are not in season, then frozen (thawed) would be an acceptable option.  The end results will taste like green beans, not the indescribable flavor of canned green beans (even the best bacon cannot do anything for it).


If the ratio of bacon to green beans is right, you won't even taste the green beans.


----------



## MuranoJo (Nov 20, 2013)

MichaelColey said:


> If the ratio of bacon to green beans is right, you won't even taste the green beans.



:hysterical:   

We home-can green beans, but they are 'soft' and don't have the slight crunch of fresh-cooked ones.  However, they're still one of my favorite veggies, especially in winter.

When we cook them fresh, we always add a few bits of bacon to flavor them.  Hey, if you read 'Wheat Belly' or 'Grain Brain', you wouldn't worry about saturated fat--you'd worry more about your whole-wheat bread.  

Thanks to all for the great suggestions.  I think we'll try one of the simple brussels sprouts recipes this time.


----------



## CO skier (Nov 26, 2013)

pjrose said:


> Are you serious about deep-frying bacon, and then battering it and deep-frying it again?  Or battering and deep-frying raw bacon?  Eeeeekkkkk, I can't imagine all that fat!



Well ... as luck would have it, fresh green beans and bacon were both on sale this week.  So ...

Cut the ends off of the green beans and dropped them in boiling water for 6 minutes.  Drained them then dropped them in cold water to stop the cooking.  When cooled, the green beans were drained and dried with a paper towel.

Cut the bacon slices in half, then rolled three green beans in each half slice of bacon and secured with a toothpick.  Two each of the bacon-wrapped green beans were prepared as follows:

1)  Place on a cookie sheet and oven baked at 400F.  It took 20 minutes, and grease splattered everywhere.  If I were to do this again, I would place the bacon-wrapped green beans on something where the grease could drain into a pan.

2)  Deep fried in peanut oil at 350F.  Even with just two, there was a lot of splattering and foaming; had to partially cover with a lid to contain the mess, but it took only 90 second to cook.

3)  Coated with Tempura batter and deep fried at 350F (in hindsight, 375F would have been better).  The toothpicks were handy for rolling the bacon-wrapped green beans in the tempura batter and using them to drop the coated packages in the hot oil.  They required 6 minutes to cook.  There was nowhere near the splattering that was seen in #1 and #2 above.  The bacon was cooked to the same degree as in #1 and #2 above.

A tasting panel of four concluded that the tempura battered bacon-wrapped greens beans were the winner, slightly edging out the deep fried bacon-wrapped green beans.

Chef's opinion:  All of these were a PITA to make.  The bacon completely cooked in all the samples, but none were crispy.  The smoky flavor of the bacon was overwhelming in all samples.  It was an interesting experiment, but I doubt I will ever make any of these again.


----------



## MuranoJo (Nov 26, 2013)

CO Skier,

That was quite a thorough test!  Thanks for the outcomes.


----------



## MichaelColey (Nov 27, 2013)

CO skier said:


> 1)  Place on a cookie sheet and oven baked at 400F.  It took 20 minutes, and grease splattered everywhere.  If I were to do this again, I would place the bacon-wrapped green beans on something where the grease could drain into a pan.


We cook ours in a stone dish the size of a cake pan.  I don't think it splatters outside of that.

It certainly is a lot of work.  We only do it on special meals.  We first experienced bacon-wrapped green beans at a wedding reception, and it was a real hit.


----------



## csxjohn (Nov 27, 2013)

When I had to live in Toledo for the last 5 years of my working career I was without all my recipes and cooking equipment so I concocted a new way (for me) of making my jalapeño poppers.

I sliced them lengthwise, cleaned out the seed, filled each half with cream cheese then wrapped each piece in 1/2 slice of bacon.

I then put them in the broiler and cooked until the bacon was done.

They were so good that I ate 12 pieces right away and then realized I had just eaten 6 slices of bacon. Yikes, not good for my health.

I now take a slice of bacon and cut it into 12 pieces and put one of those small pieces on each pepper half.  I still get that great bacon flavor, the cheese cuts some of the heat and they taste great.  I can also cook these on a gas grill and easily get the bacon cooked by closing the lid of the grill.


----------



## Elan (Nov 27, 2013)

csxjohn said:


> When I had to live in Toledo for the last 5 years of my working career I was without all my recipes and cooking equipment so I concocted a new way (for me) of making my jalapeño poppers.
> 
> I sliced them lengthwise, cleaned out the seed, filled each half with cream cheese then wrapped each piece in 1/2 slice of bacon.
> 
> ...



  Yeah, I've made these a few times.  They are great!  Add a Little Smokie to them and you've got Atomic Buffalo Turds, or ABT's, in smoker parlance.






  The bacon wrapped green beans would seem to be a waste of good bacon.  Bacon around asparagus spears might be worth trying, however.


----------



## csxjohn (Nov 28, 2013)

Elan said:


> Yeah, I've made these a few times.  They are great!  Add a Little Smokie to them and you've got Atomic Buffalo Turds, or ABT's, in smoker parlance.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I like it!  I'll be trying the smokie addition next time I make them. 

When I go to my resort in Dayton I stop at the giant flea market and buy a basket or two of jalapeño peppers and make them up on the grill to share with anyone around the pool who want to try them.  I think this will be a big hit.


----------



## amycurl (Dec 11, 2013)

Honestly? While I am sure these are probably mighty tasty (truly,) the picture reminds me of something that would end up in The Gallery of Regrettable Food. 

Warning--that website is a huge timesuck of funny.


----------



## MuranoJo (Dec 13, 2013)

amycurl said:


> Honestly? While I am sure these are probably mighty tasty (truly,) the picture reminds me of something that would end up in The Gallery of Regrettable Food.
> 
> Warning--that website is a huge timesuck of funny.



This has to be one of the funniest things I've read in a long time.  Seriously hilarious.  I've only made it through the first 1/3 of the sections or so, but so far my favorites are the Bar-B-Que and the 10 p.m. Cookbook sections.  (Of course, the humor is in the comments under each photo.)


----------

