In Good Flavor | Great Recipes

October 14, 2019

RITA'S GREEN BEAN SPECIAL

So easy and so good! Rita's Green Bean Special, loaded with bacon and fried onion rings, is a perfect side to accompany any family meal. And it all comes together in one pan!

This green bean recipe might look familiar to some of you as it was featured on one of my earliest posts. I thought it could use updated pictures as well as a reintroduction to all of you lovely visitors of this blog. It is unarguably one of the easiest and most delicious green bean side dishes to make. As you can see, I am not partial at all ;)

These green beans are my family's favorite side dish, even passing the picky husband taste test. He has no problem making it go down. I have a hunch that the tons of bacon and fried onion rings might have something to do with boosting its likeability factor. But that is neither here nor there (heehee) .

The hubs grew up with this dish as his mom, Rita, would serve it with Sunday dinners and the holidays. Our kids grew up eating it as well. Now an adult, my daughter chooses to eat mainly vegetarian, but she splurges on these green beans. In fact, she recently made herself a batch and ate the ENTIRE thing in one night!! Just as her mama, she likes her veggies and she LOVES her bacon!

How simple is it to make this dish? The hardest part is cooking the bacon and that's a breeze. An entire 16 ounce pack is used. Cut it into 3/4-inch pieces, then brown. I use a 6-quart pan with deep sides, which contains the splashing. No greasy mess to clean up here.

Once the bacon is cooked, drain the fat and add green beans. My mother-in-law uses canned green beans, so that is what I use. The bacon and green beans are simmered for a while in beef broth to allow the flavors to meld. Most of the broth is then drained off and fried onion rings are added. Good old French's Crispy Fried Onions straight from the tub is what you need. They are so good! Believe me, no one is going to complain that you didn't go through the trouble of using fresh green beans and homemade fried onions. Pinky swear!

If you're looking for an easy side dish that is going to please everyone, these green beans are what you need. They are perfect for a family dinner or the holidays. This dish is a staple at our Thanksgiving, Christmas, and pretty much every special occasion meal. If it is not made, I will hear about it!

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RITA'S GREEN BEAN
SPECIAL

INGREDIENTS:

4 (14.5 oz.) cans green beans, drained

1 (14.5 oz.) can low sodium beef broth

1 (16 oz.) package bacon

1 (6 oz.) tub French fried onions

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cut bacon into 3/4 inch pieces. Add bacon to a preheated large nonstick 6-quart saucepan on medium high heat. Brown using wooden spatulas to separate bacon pieces, approximately 10 minutes. Drain fat. Set aside.

Return pan to heat and add green beans and beef broth. Cover and allow to come to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for 15-20minutes, stirring halfway. Remove from heat. Drain most of liquid, leaving about 1/8" at the bottom of the pan. Stir fried onions. Transfer bean mixture to a serving bowl.

Makes 8 servings.

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October 06, 2019

5-INGREDIENT BEEF PIE

4 Comments

This hearty and super easy 5-Ingredient Beef Pie takes one hour to make from start to finish. It's a picky eater and meat eater's delight. Serve alone or with a side of salad or greens for a fantastic weeknight family meal.

If you have a picky, protein-driven eater in your household as I do, this pie is worth its weight in gold. In my family, the distinction goes to the hubs. He can live on meat and cheese alone. With only a few exceptions, he will pass on anything that has vegetables. And don't even get me going on pasta! Can someone else tell the man there is more to the pasta world than spaghetti, pene, or orecchiette and red sauce? #notthisagain

Mealtime can be a challenge if I want to make one dish that everybody would eat. This pie, packed with a savory ground beef filling, has only 5 ingredients and couldn't be easier to make. It pleases the hubs and passes his taste test. It makes me happy because I don't have to prepare two different meals, and I can have it with a side of salad or steamed broccoli. This beef pie is a total win-win!

With the help of a few convenience items, the filling comes together in no time. So what's in it? Lean ground beef, onion soup/dip mix, sour cream and chive instant mashed potato mix, and milk work together to form an incredibly moist and delicious filling.

In terms of preparation, it is crazy easy. There is no prep—no chopping and no rinsing. The filling takes 10 minutes to cook. It is allowed to cool for a few minutes before it is placed in pie crust. Once assembled, the pie goes in the oven to bake for 40 minutes. That's it! Boom!! Dinner is done.

If this passed my picky eater husband's test, it is sure to pass any picky eater's test! The hubs went back for seconds the first time he had this. Rest assured, this meal is on instant replay at my family dinner table. Completely doable in one hour, this is the perfect meal for a busy weeknight or any busy night!!

If you try this pie out on your finicky eater, please let me know how it goes!

Shop online at Amazon for supplies recommended for the making of this recipe! Any commission made on purchases makes these posts possible and helps support my blogging addiction.

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5-INGREDIENT BEEF PIE

INGREDIENTS:

1 3/4 to 2 pounds 93% lean ground beef
1 envelope (1.1 oz) + 2 tablespoons beefy onion soup and dip mix
3/4 cup sour cream and chives instant mashed potato mix
1 1/4 cup milk + 2 teaspoons to brush on crust
2 refrigerated pie crusts

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat a 12-inch skillet on medium high. Add ground beef. Brown, breaking up meat as it cooks, about 8 minutes.

Stir in onion soup/dip mix. Slowly stir in 1 1/4 cup milk. Add instant potato. Stir to incorporate. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly for a few minutes.

Place pie crust in a pie plate. Add pie filling. Top with the second crust. Fold edges over the bottom crust, pressing together to seal. Flute the edges. Brush the top with the remaining 1 tablespoon milk. Slice air vents on crust using a pointed knife.

Bake on the lower half of the oven until the crust is golden, about 35-40 minutes. Serve hot.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Recipe Note:

If you have more time, allow the filling to cool as long as you can prior to placing it into the pie crust. This allows for a firmer bottom crust once cooked. If you are short on time, pour filling into the crust hot. It will work just fine!