Hi, Weed! I made fresh green beans with caramelized onions for Thanksgiving this year that were delicious!

Green Beans with Caramelized Onions and Bacon

* Prep Time:15 minutes
* Cook Time:20 minutes
* Serves:4

Simple and packed with flavor, onions and bacon are the perfect complement to fresh green beans.

Foodie Byte: This entire dish can be prepared ahead and served at room temperature, if desired. If served hot, everything can be prepared right up until steaming the green beans, then toss hot green beans with onions and bacon when ready to serve.

* 8 ounces bacon, chopped into 1 inch pieces
* 1/2 onion, sliced thinly
* 3 tablespoons sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
* 12 ounces green beans

Cook bacon until crisp in skillet, drain bacon, and set aside, reserving bacon grease.

In skillet with bacon grease, sauté onions with sugar, salt, pepper, and apple cider vinegar until tender. Set aside.

Steam or blanch green beans until tender, and toss with onion mixture and reserved bacon pieces. Serve warm or at room temperature.

my notes: I left out the bacon as we have a family vegetarian and sauteed the onions in olive oil. I mixed some of the onion mixture with the beans before serving and then topped the dish with the rest of the onions, as a garnish.

Here is a link to some that sound good to me. Different and simple.

Here is a link that might be useful: Green Beans

Ann's recipe for Spinach squares would work well here. Especially since they are easy to eat from a buffet, etc.
I'll include her recipe here in case you don't have easy access to it. Also, there is an entire thread on spinach in case you still want to look. Check here at:
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/cooking/msg121515504625.html

But here's the recipe below I made for Christmas eve and they went over well. Don't forget to grease the pan. I used tinfoil and didn't grease the tinfoil and I had to really scrape the squares off the foil. But overall a very very easy recipe.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Spinach Squares
===============
These are really good. They are from a Woman's Day Home Entertainment Magazine from Dec. 1982.

2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen, chopped spinach
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
8 eggs beaten
10 to 12 soda crackers, crumbled (2/3 cup)
2 teaspoons herbs, (thyme, rosemary, dill)
1 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups grated cheddar cheese (8 oz if using hard cheddar)
Parmesan cheese
paprika
. Thaw and drain spinach. In large skillet, heat oil. Saute spinach,
onion, garlic and parsley until lightly cooked. Add eggs, crackers,
seasonings and Cheddar cheese, mix together. Pour into a greased 8 1/4
X 13 1/2 inch baking dish. Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese and
paprika and bake at 325 for 45 minutes, or until knife inserted in
centre comes out clean. cut in small squares, about 1 3/4 inches. May
be served hot or cold. Makes 36 squares

You can go light on the dressing and room temp is okay for this recipe, one of the few green bean dishes that I really enjoy.

Gardenlad's Green Beans with Poppy Seed Dressing

1 1/2 lbs green beans, tipped, tailed, and stringed if necessary.
2 tsp poppy seeds
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbls white wine vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
2 tbls minced shallot
Salt & pepper to taste.

Lightly steam beans until just tender. Set aside.
Heat small skillet over medium low heat. Add poppy seeds and toast, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.
Add the oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, shallot, salt & pepper to the poppy seeds. Whisk until well blended.
Warm dressing in a large skillet over medium heat. Add beans and toss to coat. Cook until beans are warmed through.
from: Eating Well

Here is another recipe that both CindyMac and my DD make that I like, served at room temp.

GREEN BEAN, PECAN, AND FETA SALAD
CindyMac
2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed
1 small purple onion, thinly sliced
2-3 ounces crumbled feta cheese
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
coarse salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
CUT green beans into thirds, and arrange in a steamer basket over boiling water. Cover and steam 5-8 minutes or until crisp-tender. Immediately plunge into cold water to stop the cooking process; drain and pat dry.
TOSS together green beans, onion, cheese, and pecans in a large bowl. Cover and chill 1 hour.
WHISK together olive oil and next 5 ingredients; cover and chill 1 hour.
POUR vinaigrette over green bean mixture, and chill 1 hour; toss just before serving.
~adapted from Southern Living magazine

Here are a couple more that may work for you.

Marinated Green Beans

From Best Ever Recipes vol.II

3/4 lb fresh green beans, trimmed
1/4 c finely chopped red onion
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1-1/2 T olive oil
3/4 tsp salt
3 T lemon juice

Cook green beans in pot of lightly salted water until crisp-tender. Drain beans but do not rinse them

Transfer beans to medium size bow, toss with onion, garlic, oil and salt. Marinate at room temp for 1 hour, tossing occasionally.
Just before serving, remove the garlic and discard. Add the lemon juice and toss to coat the beans. Serves 4

Parmesan Roasted Asparagus Copyright 2002, Barefoot Contessa 2 1/2 pounds fresh asparagus (about 30 large) 2 tablespoons good olive oil 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan 2 lemons cut in wedges, for serving Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. If the stalks of the asparagus are thick, peel the bottom 1/2 of each. Lay them in a single layer on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and return to the oven for another minute. Serve with lemon wedges. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Corn With Basil 2 10oz packages frozen corn 1/2c chopped onion 1/2c celery, thinly sliced 1 clove garlic, minced 2T butter 1/4tsp dried basil 1/2tsp salt 1 2oz jar diced pimientos, drained Combine corn, onion, celery, garlic and butter in saucepan, cook and stir over medium heat until onion is tender. Stir in remaining ingredients , reduce heat. Cover and cook until heated through, about 3\-5 minutes. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Or how about Sol's Cauliflower Au Gratin? Cauliflower Au Gratin 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets, stems chopped Salt 1½ tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon minced shallot 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 cup vegetable or chicken stock 1 cup heavy cream \[you could get away with less\] ½ tablespoon prepared horseradish ground pepper ½ cup grated Gruyere cheese Boil or steam cauliflower florets for 6\-7 minutes or until tender. Drain well and transfer to a large casserole dish. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan and add the cauliflower stems, shallot and garlic. Cook until tender. Add the stock and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the cream, horseradish and Gruyere and cook until cheese is melted. Salt and Pepper to taste. Transfer to a blender and purée until smooth. Pour the sauce over the cauliflower florets and stir until well coated. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Linda

Weed, this Greek vegetable dish is perfect for a pot luck. It can be served hot,warm or room temperature.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Green Bean, Zucchini and Potato Stew (Fassolakia Iadera
=======================================================

Adapted from: Krinos Foods

(The original recipe called for a large can of tomatoes and did not include garlic or oregano.)

Green Bean, Zucchini and Potato Stew (Fassolakia Iadera)This is a traditional vegetable mixture that is often eaten cold, accompanied by hunks of country bread and feta cheese

.
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed, halved crosswise
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 ounces zucchini, cut into 1-inch-thick slices
8 ounces russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes
3/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh oregano chopped (or dried)
1 14 ounce can of Italian-style tomatoes, chopped.
1/2 cup chicken broth
. Heat oil in heavy large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add
onion and sauté 5 minutes.Add Garlic and green beans and sauté until
onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add zucchini, potatoes, cayenne
pepper, parsley and oregano. Pour tomatoes and their juices over
vegetables. Add chicken broth. Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Cover and
simmer until potatoes are tender, stirring frequently, about 45
minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Can be prepared
1 day ahead -- cover and refrigerate. Serve warm or at room
temperature. 6 To 8 Servings

I'm here to tell you that AnnT's Parmesean Roasted Onions are to DIE for. I made them to go with my Prime Rib Christmas dinner and then again the night after :)

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Roasted Parmesan-Creamed Onions
===============================

Rick Tramonto - Osteria Cookbook

Talk about succulent! The yellow onions are pretty pungent when you slice them, but surrender their kick when they are roasted and become sweet and tender. When they reach this point, the cream sauce is poured over them, they are topped with shaved cheese, and then the whole thing is returned to the oven for a slow melt. I like to cook these in a wood oven to get some smoke on them, which makes them even better-if that's possible. Great with chicken, lamb, beef-you name it! I also like it served as a first course.
serves 4

4 medium yellow onions
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shaved (about 2 tablespoons)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Slice the onions into 1/4-inch-thick rings and lay them in a shallow baking pan, such as a sheet pan or jelly roll pan. Drizzle with the olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 to 18 minutes, or until lightly browned.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring the cream and wine to a simmer over medium-high heat. As soon as the liquid starts to bubble around the edges, remove from the heat.
4. Spoon about a tablespoon of the cream mixture over each onion slice. Cover with aluminum foil, return to the oven, and cook for about 25 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 450°F.
5. Remove the foil and top the onions with the shaved cheese. Return the pan to the oven and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the edges caramelize. Serve hot.

Thanks everyone - all of these sound great! I am leaning towards Gardenlad's Green Beans with Poppy Seed Dressing, the Marinated Green Beans, the Parmesan Asparagus, or a recipe from my sister for Sesame green beans. That being said, those parmesan roasted onions sound wonderful! More fat than I was looking for, but hey - it's still the holidays, and from what I am told, the calories between 10/10,(Pre-Halloween Candy Testing), and 1/1 don't really count.

I am probably going to make Mustangs' Bourbon Lil' Smokies that were posted on another thread too. No matter how fancy or casual a party is, people freakin' LOVE Lil' Smokies!

This is an unusual recipe that sounds very strange and tastes wonderful. My kids requested it frequently and one daughter just served it for our Christmas dinner. Originally put out by the National Celery Council maybe 30+ years ago. You could take along an electric skillet and it's fresh and ready to serve in 11 minutes. The three greens and the red from the olives makes it pretty, too.

Green Medley

2 Tb. real butter
1 Tb. salad oil
Heat together.

4 c. diagonally sliced celery
Add, stir fry 5 minutes

10 oz. pkg. frozen baby peas,partly thawed
Add, stir fry 5 more minutes.

½ c. sliced stuffed green olives
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
Add, stir fry 1 more minute.

I just made a nice green bean dish from Clean Eating that just involved cooking green beans until done to your taste, then sauteing a couple of shallots in a tablespoon of olive oil, add 8 oz. of sliced portabello mushrooms, cook for 5 minutes, stir in the green beans. Done.

They were very good, I was actually a bit surprised.

Annie

I'm all for veges. when eating dinner. Any vegetable can be easily done on the grill or stove top with a little bit of olive oil, garlic, salt & pepper.

I do a dish quite a bit with tomatoes cut in wedges, zucchini, yellow squash and onions (cut in wedges) tossed in the above and cooked quickly. Goes over well with everyone I have cooked it for.

Or maybe a salad? I made one for a pre-Christmas potluck that had mesclun, Romaine, diced red pears, toasted walnuts, sliced red onion, feta cheese and pomegranate seeds, dressed with raspberry-walnut vinaigrette. It went over well - lots of pretty red and green and the pomegranate seeds gave it a little extra oomph! A lot of people have never had pomegranates, apparently.

Hi Weed! After dinner at a friend's home, I discovered roasted veggies that were tossed with a tablespoon of grainy mustard in addition to the regular EVOO, S&P, and balsamic. It was a winning combination that I repeated on Christmas night.Give it a try!

Followup:

It turned out that someone was already making green beans, so I made asparagus. Similar to the recipe that Linda posted, with the addition of fresh basil. They were excellent - highly recommended! You can do everything in advance and assemble/broil at the last minute.

Parmesan Crusted Asparagus

1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed
3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed (I use my microplane)
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup (packed) grated Parmesan cheese

Cook or steam asparagus until just crisp-tender. Err on the side of undercooked, since you will be putting them under the broiler for additional minutes later. Plunge into an ice water bath to retain color and halt cooking. Drain very well. (I went as far as putting them on a clean kitchen towel and patting dry.)

Preheat broiler.

Arrange asparagus on broiler proof platter. Mix softened butter with basil, garlic and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Put butter mixture in microwave and heat until pourable, but not totally melted.

Drizzle butter mixture all over asparagus, then sprinkle the parmesan on top.

Broil asparagus until topping browns, watching closely to avoid burning. If you had to use a cookie sheet to broil them, slide a flat spatula under them to transfer to your serving platter - this will keep the yummy parmesan crust attached to the asparagus.

OOOH Sounds so good. Asparagus with butter and Parmesan is one of my favourites. But I've never run them under the broiler before. I'll have to give that a try.

Ann

I had the same idea (sort of) as Linda did; my first thought was about the asparagus. Then I decided it might be a bit pricy for a pot luck. But I love plain roasted (or poached) asparagus cold with dipping sauce. and my favorite dipping sauce is mayo and curry powder...

If I were sticking to the green beans, I'd either make something i could keep warm all day for the grazing - in a crock pot probably - or could eat cold like the marinated green bean concoctions.

Good luck, and tell us what you decide!!