Green Bean Casserole from scratch

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/best-ever-green-bean-casserole-recipe/index.html

This was good, but I used arrowroot starch instead of flour and it made the onions stick together and bake strangely. It worked fine as a sauce thickener though. And I left out the panko. So that definitely brought this down a notch. David said it wasn't much better than the green beans plain, but I thought it was still fun and will try it again sometime, maybe without any flour coating the onions.

Green Beans Saute

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/fresh-green-beans-one-way/

I didn't have clean bacon grease so used butter instead. Will try bacon grease next time. I also put in the entire red pepper and an entire onion. This was really tasty. I had to cook it longer than she said because there was so much liquid left, and I ended up taking the lid off and turning the heat up to help it along.

Love love this though. I adore green beans, and these were really great.

Green Bean Casserole

This is adapted from an old Betty Crocker cookbook. My family makes it at thanksgiving, though we always need a double batch in a 9x13 casserole dish. Below is a single batch for an 8x8 dish.

2 cans (1 lb each) green beans, drained
1 can (~10.5 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup slivered almonds (optional)
3.5 oz can french fried onion rings

Mix almonds, green beans, and soup together, put in ungreased 1 quart casserole dish (or 8x8 square dish). Bake uncovered for 35 minutes at 350 F. Sprinkle top with onion rings, then bake 5 more minutes until onions are browned a little.

Butter beans, roast beef, and green beans

12 oz can Roast Beef in beef broth (I get it from costco)
1 can green beans (or use fresh/frozen and cook in beef broth)
1 can butter beans

Heat beef and broth in a skillet. Add other ingredients. Simmer until broth is reduced.

David loves this. I like it a lot too and it is so easy. I eat it for lunch a lot.

Calories: 457 per serving / 2 servings

Garlic Green Beans

Today I made green beans. They are my favorite vegetable. Normally I just steam veggies, but today I was adventurous, inspired by the green beans I ate with Reija & Bob a few days ago. It is very similar to this: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1634686 but has less salt and pepper.

Instead of measuring salt and pepper, I just put some on directly from the shakers. I used fresh ground pepper. I left out the oil and used 1 T butter. It was soooo good.

Shepherd's Pie

This recipe is based on http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Shepherds-Pie-VI/Detail.aspx, but follows the alterations made by "Erin0220" in the comments.

DH and I both really like this. It is a good meal to take to a neighbor too, since it's a one dish meal.

• 4 large potatoes, peeled (or not peeled) and cut into fourths (i.e. one potato becomes 4 large chunks)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• milk
• 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (or less, or completely omit)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 5 carrots, chopped (or 3 carrots plus some green beans)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 pound lean ground beef (works well with 1/2 lb too, even without lamb)
• 1/2 pound ground lamb (optional, but awesome)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon ketchup (or 2?)
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1 packet brown gravy mix
• 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash. Mix in butter, 1/4 cup shredded cheese, and some milk. The amount of milk depends on the consistency you want. I like it creamy so it can be spread easily. As it cools, you'll need to add more milk to maintain the creamy consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside.
2. Steam carrots and green beans, or saute until cooked. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C.)
3. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add onion and cook until clear. Add ground beef/lamb and cook until well browned. Pour off excess fat, then stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, water, and gravy mix. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Spread the ground beef in an even layer on the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish. Next, spread a layer of carrots/green beans. Top with the mashed potato mixture and sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.