Sautéed Green Beans with Caramelized Onions

This week I'll be sharing a few of those side dishes from our Thanksgiving feast I didn't have recipes for last week.  After that, I'll be dedicating the rest of the month to Christmas goodies--so you better get your fill of vegetables now!

I don't mind green bean casserole.  You know, the one made with cream of mushroom soup, french fried onions and canned green beans.  In fact, I confess to actually enjoying it in small (like once or twice a year small) doses.  However, during the holidays, I get plenty of fat and other naughty things in foods I enjoy much, much more.  So for my veggies I try to stick as close to the real deal as possible.  

That's not to say they're flavorless and ordinary though, so don't be shocked when you see ingredients like bacon grease and heavy cream over the next few days.  We don't serve our veggies like this every day!

Start with an sliced nice and thin.

While you're slicing the onion, preheat a large skillet with a little bacon grease.  You could actually start the whole process by frying up some bacon (to mix in later) and reserving the grease, but if you do, please drain off most of it!  You'll only need about 1/4 lb of bacon to get a nice crunch and good flavor.  And only a couple tablespoons of grease.  

However, if you happened to have bacon with dinner or brunch a couple weeks ago, and if you then happened to reserve the grease in a little glass jar for purposes such as this, (or the best french toast ever) for goodness sake, just throw a big spoonful in the pan.

If none of the above apply to you, or if you don't like bacon, or don't have bacon, or whatever--butter or oil will do the job.

Throw the onions in first and cook 'em down for awhile.

You really want a nice golden color and good, caramelized onions in this dish.

When the onions are cooked, stir in the green beans.  I used french sliced frozen, but you can use regular cut frozen, or you can use fresh.  If you use fresh, keep in mind they haven't been blanched, (or in other words, pre-cooked) so they'll need more time in the skillet.

Stir them around and cook until the green beans are nice and bright green, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

Sauteed Green Beans with Caramelized Onions

2 T bacon grease (or other fat)

1 onion, julienned

3 cups cut green beans (fresh or frozen)

salt and pepper to taste, if desired

Preheat large skillet with bacon grease.  Slice onion.  Saute onion first and continue to cook until golden and caramelized.  Add green beans.  Cook, stirring frequently, until green beans are bright green and tender.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.