Seasoned Green Beans - Pantry Cooking the Basics

One of the sides I can always depend on having on hand and always count on my family gobbling up is Seasoned Green Beans. There is nothing hard about this dish. It's easy, contains ingredients I normally keep in my pantry, and even makes a great, frugal covered dish to share at potlucks.

My girls always request these beans for holiday dinners. We serve them for winter holidays, summer picnics, and just everyday supper. I can make a bunch or just a few. Yesterday I brought some with lots of broth in a canning jar for lunch. With a leftover hot roll, they were a super satisfying and great meal.

I had always "opened a can of green beans" for my family but they were nothing over the top. Then, I started working at our local elementary school. There I tasted super delicious and cramming your mouth full green beans. These things are that good. I asked the cook how she did it and she shared her little secret. Shhhhh! I'm sharing it with you.

The secret ingredient in the most delicious Seasoned Green Beans is this:

She called it "Ham Base." I found it near the bouillon cubes in my local grocery store. This stuff will last FOREVER. You only use a little bit, but boy does it make a difference!

Here is how I make Seasoned Green Beans AT HOME MY WAY:

Seasoned Green Beans

1 can green beans (undrained)
1 rounded teaspoon minced, dried onion (or 2 Tablespoons fresh, finely chopped onion works fine) (I don't measure but just sprinkle some on) (onion powder works okay too if your kids don't want to see the onions) (The onions are VITAL to this tasting right.)
3/4 teaspoon Ham Base
1 teaspoon bacon grease (or 1 Tablespoon butter/margarine)
pepper
(No salt is needed as the Ham Base is pretty salty)

*This recipe can be doubled. I usually make two cans of green beans for my two girls and I (we love them THAT much!). You can also chop up some potatoes and cook with the beans which makes for a heartier side dish similar to fresh green beans and new potatoes that you might make during garden season.

Instructions:

Cook all ingredients together in a pot, simmering fairly good (bubbling) for 15 minutes or so. Stir occasionally. We like ours to cook several minutes to get all of the flavors combined and the beans cooked tender. If using fresh onion, or cooking with raw potatoes, make sure to cook long enough for the onions to cook clear and the potatoes to soften.

Easy Peasy Parmesan Chicken in the Crockpot (Only 5 ingredients!)

Do you need a super easy, "dump and go" crockpot meal that is super delicious and tastes like you are eating out? I have a good one for you today! RECIPES AT THE TOP - CHIT CHAT AT THE BOTTOM Here's how I now make Crockpot Parmesan Chicken AT HOME MY WAY. Dump & Go Crockpot Parmesan Chicken *only FIVE ingredients plus the pasta* (Print the Recipe HERE) 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts/tenders (frozen or thawed) 1 1/2 cups (app.) of seasoned canned bread crumbs 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese (I use the green can.) 1 or 2 jars (24 oz each) of prepared spaghetti sauce (Prego, Ragu, etc.) (Classico is my favorite lately.) Mozzarella (shredded) (Serve with cooked pasta. We use penne.) Instructions : Place chicken pieces in the crockpot (as much as your family needs). (I use frozen because my crockpot cooks super fast.) Sprinkle the chicken heavily with bread crumbs and then with the parmesan cheese, like this: Dump on the jarred spaghetti...

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Best Dill Pickles EVER! (Just like Claussen) (Easy - no canning!)

Do you want to make the best, easiest homemade dill pickles in the world? I found a recipe for dill pickles that tastes JUST LIKE Claussen refrigerator pickles. Those are the best anyway, right? That crunch, the dill and the garlic... and oh yea , the crunch! This recipe is super easy because you don't have to process these pickles which means there is no canning needed. You just fill a gallon jar (we use an old pickle jar) with fresh cucumbers and dill heads, and then pour over the cooled liquids/seasonings. Let it sit on the counter for three days, and then refrigerate. After that, the pickle eating begins. They are supposed to keep for one year like that in the fridge, without canning. (We let them sit for the 3 days, then refrigerated them overnight before opening the jar for the much anticipated first taste. Did they taste like Claussen? YOU BET YOUR PRETTY PICKLE THEY DID! We were all SO ex...

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Buttermilk Biscuits - Just like Cracker Barrel!

RECIPES AT THE TOP - CHIT CHAT AT THE BOTTOM! Here's how we make Buttermilk Biscuits AT HOME MY WAY: Buttermilk Biscuits (just like Cracker Barrel) (Makes about 8 biscuits.) PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE Ingredients: 2 cups SELF RISING flour (self rising flour gives the perfect taste to homemade biscuits) 1/3 cup shortening (cold real butter also works here) 1 1/4 cup buttermilk* *NOTE: (If using regular milk combined with lemon juice vinegar referenced below, you only need 1 cup of milk because thinner regular milk uses less by volume than the thick real buttermilk.) Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. (Make sure your flour is "fluffed" not straight from the bag; Dump it in a larger container and stir using up and down motion to fluff it up a little bit-THEN measure out 2 cups). Measure 2 cups SELF RISING flour into a mixing bowl. Add shortening and cut it until small and crumbly. A fork works fine for this purpose ...

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