Southern green beans with bacon honey dijon dressing

So I realize that today is friday and that I have been posting Friday Afternoon Happy Hour drinks on fridays… But this week has been crazy and the drink I have ready to share I am going to save for next friday. The reason that I am waiting for next friday is because Tavis and I will be in China!! (more on that next week, until then, follow us on Instagram!!)

I didn’t want to leave you guys high and dry this week so here is a great recipe for this upcoming holiday season. Give it a test run now before you have guests in town and let me know what you think. This quickly became a favorite in our house.

For as long as I can remember my mom has made green beans the same way. It was the way her daddy made then (my Grandaddy) and the way that she tough me to make them. steamed with a little onion and a chuck of fatback (bacon or ham will do in a pinch) last year she turned me on to this recipe and with a few tweaks it has become our go-to green bean recipe… and they are addictive!!

Here is what you will need:

1/2 lbs of bacon (reserve the fat for later in the recipe)
2 lbs of green beans with the ends shaped off
2 medium onions sliced thin
2 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbl Apple Cider vinegar
1 Tbl honey
1 1/2 Tbls Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

Start off with your bacon. Cut the bacon into approx 1 inch pieces and fry over medium heat. The small pieces make it easier to cook evenly. Does anyone else have a problem with the center of the slice of bacon cooking really quick and leaving you with raw spots on the ends? I don’t usually cook my bacon in a wok but I do for this recipe because you will keep adding things to your frying pan and the wok gives you enough room to stir and toss the green beans with plenty of room.

After you have removed all the bacon to a paper towel to drip off, add the onion and garlic to the wok (and all that yummy bacon grease!!) and cook over medium heat string every few minutes until they start to turn translucent.

Add the green beans to the wok and continue to cook over medium heat string or tossing every few minutes. Cook the beans until they reach your desired level of tenderness. I like to cook mine in the 20-30 minute range. At this point they have not started to get mushy and they have a slight crunch left in them.

As the beans are cooking, whisk the Apple Cider Vinegar, honey, and the Dijon mustard together in a small bowl.

When the beans are cooked to your desired tenderness, remove from heat and toss with the honey dijon dressing. Top with bacon crumbles before serving. I like to wait until just before serving to add the bacon so that it stays crispy. 

Enjoy!