Who me? Don’t mind me. I’m just sitting over here munching on my Carolina Christmas Beans just like I’ve been doing for the past couple of days. I thought we might need an alternative to Green Bean Casserole - I mean, I LOVE Green Bean Casserole - but, I’m a little tired of it, aren’t you? Wouldn’t you love to try something new? Me too! So, that does it, just whip up a bowl Carolina Christmas Beans and you will be right over here with me, happily munching away!
Today, I’m trying something new. I’ve read a lot of comments over on another site (no names) with complaints from readers who “just want the recipe” and “don’t want to read all of the day to day” of the blog writer. So, today, I’m giving you just that. The recipe for Carolina Christmas Beans, right up front and on top. If you want to read more - tips on the recipe, where the recipe came from, why this recipe is called Carolina Christmas Beans, then please, I personally invite you to keep reading after the recipe insert. I hope you will. In the name of fairness, we will let the recipe seekers come and get what they need and go on their Merry way - like an express lane at the grocery. The rest of us can sit and have a cup of coffee and discuss beans after they are gone. See you on the other side of the recipe!
RECIPE FOR CAROLINA CHRISTMAS BEANS
Carolina Christmas Beans
Ingredients
- 2 Tbs unsalted Butter
- 1 Large Shallot - chopped fine
- 2 cloves of garlic - minced
- 1 Tbs flour
- ½ cup chicken broth
- Pinch Cayenne pepper
- 2 Cans of Good Quality Green Beans - drained well
- 1 Can Diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes - drained well
- ¼ grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 Tbs green onion - diced for garnish
Instructions
- Melt 2 tbs butter in a heavy bottomed sauce pot over medium heat. Add the shallot and saute until translucent (3 minutes). Add the garlic and saute till aromatic - 30 secs. Add the flour and stir until makes a thick paste with the ingredients in the pan - 30 secs. Cook for another minute.
- Gradually and slowly add the chicken broth to the flour mixture and mix well as you add. Once incorporated well, add cayenne pepper. Drain the two cans of green beans and rinse with clear water and drain again. Add the green beans to the sauce pot and stir well. Add the tomatoes to the sauce pot. Once all of the items in the sauce pot have come to temp (about 5-8 minutes) , add the parmesan cheese and stir to melt. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove green beans with a slotted spoon onto serving platter and garnish with green onion. If you would like more tips on this recipe or to know more about this recipe, please visit Loaves and Dishes and search for "Carolina Christmas Beans". Additional information is included after the recipe
Notes
Nutrition
RECIPE INSPIRATION FOR CAROLINA CHRISTMAS BEANS
You might be wondering where I came upon a recipe for Carolina Christmas Beans. The answer is, I didn’t. No, I was reading and old issue of Cooks Illustrated (September & October, 2012) and came upon a recipe for Mediterranean Braised Green Beans. The recipe looks delicious and I am sure it is. Everything I have ever made from Cooks Illustrated is simply the best. They always give the reasons for their cooking methods - and they never take short cuts that sacrifice taste. I like that. That said though, this recipe looks pretty involved.
As I pondered on this, I ended up going out to eat with my daughter Sarah and her fiancé Richie. You know them. They hang around Loaves and Dishes. Sarah is a contributor here. We went to dinner at Milner’s, our favorite Southern Cuisine restaurant in Winston Salem. If you are ever in Winston Salem, I absolutely recommend Milner's! You can check them out HERE.
Anyway, Richie’s dinner came with Green Beans and I noticed that his dish looked almost exactly like the dish in the Cooks Illustrated article that I had been reading earlier in the day! That caused me to think, “I think I can make a similar dish with a similar flavor that might not take as long as braising beans for an hour”. Friend, let me tell you, this is one delicious dish and it takes only a few minutes. I hope you will give these beans a try! They are called Carolina Christmas Beans because I live in the Carolina's and this will be our Christmas Beans this year! Now you know.
Just so you know, Loaves and Dishes will be on a short hiatus over the weekend. We have someplace very important to go! I get to watch someone’s mortar board go sailing into the air! I hope you will join me in wishing Richie Congratulations on his graduation from college. I am so proud of him and am wishing him well in his job search! Good Luck Richie!!
Perhaps we will have a few pictures to share next time - but I'll put them down here at the bottom of the post so as not to cause the people just looking for a recipe to stumble in their scrolling.
I thank you so much for hanging in there until the end.
I would LOVE to know what your favorite Christmas side dish is? How about your favorite Christmas dish period? Are you vegetarian? If so, what is the main dish on your table?
Now, let me share a short excerpt from the Bible.
The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' ~ Matthew 25:40
Cecelia Carr says
I'm not too keen on "canned" veggies but I had to give this a try; the spin you put on it made this dish deee-lishous!! However, I was always taught that IF you do have to use "canned" veggies you can make them much more eatable IF you put your "touch" to them as you would "fresh". So, this "spin" made the dish.
Thanks for sharing
Wendi Spraker says
Hi Cecelia! I agree! Eat fresh if you can, but sometimes it just isn't possible! That's NO REASON for things to not taste good though! Best wishes and thanks for leaving a comment!
Moxie says
Delicious!