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Thanksgiving was a wonderful holiday for Joy and me. Not only because it would be the first one where we are together, but it would also be the first one where we were requested to bring a dish to the host as a pot luck.

We wanted something new, something different, and something that we know everyone would enjoy.  We found it in the form of a FoodNetwork.com dish. The best part about this dish is that it takes about 15-20 minutes to make to serve your family a hearty side dish. The shot above was taken while I was resting and Joy was preparing dinner for us.

Sauteed Green Beans with Pancetta and Mushrooms Recipe courtesy of Tyler Florence

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds green beans, stem end removed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 pound pancetta thinly sliced
1 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 to 5 small white button mushrooms, wiped of grit and sliced
2 tablespoons sour cream

[Chef notes: The last 2 are optional. The mushrooms can be passed or a different mushroom may be used. Also, we have yet to use sour cream at all in the 3 times we have made the dish.]

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add a big pinch of salt and add the green beans. Cook for about 5 minutes, the beans should still be crisp as they will be cooked more in the pan with the pancetta and mushrooms. Drain them and set aside.
Heat the oil up in a saute pan and add the garlic and pancetta and cook until slightly crispy. Remove the pancetta from the pan and set aside. Add the butter to the fat that has rendered from the pancetta and saute the mushrooms until golden and crispy. Season with salt and pepper. Return the pancetta to the pan and add the blanched beans. Finish with the sour cream and bring to a gentle simmer to reduce and thicken a little and allow the flavours to marry. Give it a final taste and season with salt and pepper, if necessary, before serving.

Simple enough, eh?  To give it a nice shine, I used an olive oil sprayer at the end. Again, we never used sour cream and the dish still comes out perfectly. If you do use sour cream, will you let us know if it brings any different color or taste?

This is dish will be a definite crowd-pleaser. It is transposable, versatile, and above all, deliciously gourmet. Another good thing about this dish, if you have leftovers, it reheats extremely well. Enjoy!