Old-Fashioned Green Beans with Bacon

9/1/2009

2 pounds green beans, washed and trimmed

6 strips thick-cut bacon, diced

1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion

1 clove garlic, pressed or minced

1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes, about 3/4 pound

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans, decrease heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes until the beans are soft but not mushy. The water shouldn t boil; decrease heat to medium-low if necessary. Drain beans well and return to empty pan.

While the beans are cooking, fry the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until crisp and browned. With a slotted spoon, scoop bacon onto paper towels to drain, reserving fat in skillet. Add onion to the skillet and saute over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until tender and aromatic. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute longer.

Add tomatoes to the skillet, decrease heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until tomato juices have thickened. Add tomato mixture and bacon to green beans, toss well over medium heat to warm through, and season to taste with salt and pepper

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Source: Memorable Recipes, by Renee Behnke