Dijon Maple Green Beans with Caramelized Pecans, Bacon & Feta

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These Dijon Maple Green Beans with Caramelized Pecans, Bacon and Feta aren’t your grandmother’s green beans – no offense grandma.

In fact, I was in charge of making the “green bean casserole” for Thanksgiving a couple times back in the day – and I made my mom’s green beans that had been passed down for generations. And they were good and comforting but there is a reason they are only made once a year. Isn’t it funny how we only make certain foods only once a year because its an obligatory Thanksgiving item?

Not these green beans.

While these Dijon Maple Green Beans might sound like another Thanksgiving recipe…

They are not just a Thanksgiving recipe. They are going to become a year-round favorite dinner side, favorite side to impress company and favorite side when you simply crave crisp tender green beans sauteed in butter, garlic, shallots and red pepper flakes, infused with a sauce of Dijon, pure maple syrup, and balsamic vinegar…

Topped with the crunch of bacon, sweet caramelized pecans and creamy Feta cheese.

Tangy, salty, sweet, crunchy, crispy, creamy – AKA, in my humble opinion, “the best green beans ever,” or at least that’s what I repeatedly exclaimed to myself when I tried to stop eaten them long enough to take pictures.

Move over green bean casserole, there is a new exquisitly beautiful and exquisitely delicious green bean side in town.

And it goes by Dijon Maple Green Beans with Caramelized Pecans, Bacon and Feta. Not your grandmother’s green beans.

• 1 1/2 lbs. fresh green beans, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 shallot, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• dash of red pepper
• 
  Dijon Maple Sauce
• 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 
  Garnish
• 1/3 cup caramelized pecans, chopped or to taste
• 1/4 cup Feta cheese or to taste
• 8 slices bacon, crumbled or taste

1. In a small bowl, mix together the Dijon Maple Sauce ingredients. Set aside.
2. Blanch green beans in a large stock pot of salted boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and transfer beans to a large bowl of ice water.
3. Melt butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Add shallots, garlic and red pepper flakes and saute for 1 minute. Add beans and Dijon Maple Sauce and continue to saute until beans are evenly coated in the sauce and beans and cooked to desired crisp-tenderness.
4. Taste and season with additional red pepper flakes and freshly cracked salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with caramelized pecans, bacon and Feta.

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