Cheesy Green Bean Wontons-Eating the Alphabet

The idea for this recipe came from a post for Asparagus Pockets by Sheryl over at Lady Behind the Curtain.  She used asparagus and crescent rolls.

This month’s letters for Eating the Alphabet Recipe Challenge, hosted by Brenda over at Meal Planning Magic, are G and H.  I knew that I wanted to make something new with green beans.  When I saw Sheryl’s post, I thought “Why not green beans and why not wontons?”  Thus, this recipe for Cheesy Green Bean Wontons was born.  Thanks, Sheryl, for the inspiration.

You could, of course, use cooked asparagus here instead of green beans.  Chopped broccoli and shredded carrots are another option.  Adding some cooked, finely chopped chicken, turkey or ham could turn the wontons into a main dish.  I am adding some chopped ripe olives next time I make these.

I used well-drained, canned green beans because that is all hubby will eat, but I think that crisply cooked frozen or fresh green beans would be even better.

I think dill goes well with green beans so I used that.  If you are not a dill person use something else.  Italian herbs would be good also.

The wontons can be served as an appetizer or a side dish, with or without a dip.  I made about 36 wontons and have been eating the remaining filling on toasted Sandwich Thins.

Cheesy Green Bean Wontons
1 (12 oz.) pkg. wontons
1/2 T. olive oil
1/3 c. minced red pepper
1/3 c. finely sliced green onion
1 lg. clove garlic, minced
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, well softened (can be regular or low fat, and I used whipped cream cheese)
1 t. dried dill weed
1/2 t. garlic powder
1 (16 oz.) can cut green beans, well drained and cut into 1/4-inch pieces or 1 1/2 c. crisply cooked frozen or fresh green beans, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
olive oil

Heat olive oil in a small skillet.  Add red pepper, green onion and garlic and cook gently for about 5 minutes.  Set aside.  combine cream cheese, dill week and garlic powder.  Mix well.  Stir in pepper/onion mixture and green beans.  Mix well.  Place wontons on a foil-lines baking pan.  Place a heaping teaspoon of green bean mixture in the center of each wonton.  Moisten edges of wontons with water and bring them together to form a triangle.  When the baking pan is full, brush wontons lightly with olive oil.  Bake at 375 degrees 10-15 minutes or until the edges of the wonton’s are lightly browned, turning the wontons over at about 7 minutes.  Makes about 36 to 48 wontons.

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Eating the Alphabet-Balsamic Green Bean Medley

A, B, C,D,E,F,G,H.  Here we are in our 4th month of Eating the Alphabet hosted by Brenda over at Meal Planning Magic.  Last month I wanted to do fennel, looked all over for it and could not find it, so I ended up sitting out April.  This month is G or H, so I bring a dish for green beans.

Mix some green beans, corn, onion, red pepper, almonds and bacon bits with some balsamic vinegar and a little sugar, and you have a dish that lifts green beans a little beyond the ordinary.

This dish is made with cooked vegetables so it can be made from fresh, frozen, or canned green beans and corn.  Hubby will really only eat canned green beans so that is what I use.  Most of the time I used frozen corn.  For myself, I would use diced, cooked carrots instead of the corn, but hubby prefers the corn.

This has a very light sweet/sour undertone, it can be made more pronounced by doubling the balsamic vinegar and sugar.

The almonds and crumbled bacon adds a nice crunch.

   

Balsamic Green Bean Medley
1 T. butter
1/2 c. diced onion
1/2 c. diced red pepper
1 can green beans, rinsed and drained or 2 c. cooked green beans
1 can whole kernel corn, rinsed and drained or 2 c. cooked corn
2 T. Balsamic vinegar
1 T. sugar
1/4 c. toasted slivered almonds
2 T. cooked, crumbled bacon

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan.  Add onion and red pepper and cook until tender.  Add green beans and corn and mix well.  Sprinkle sugar over the vegetables and mix well.  Add Balsamic vinegar, stir well and cook until vegetables are heated through.  Stir in almonds and bacon, reserving a little for a garnish on top.  Turn into a serving dish, garnish with the reserved almonds and bacon and serve immediately.  Makes 6 to 8 servings. 

If you would like to expand your veggie recipe arsenal come and join Eating the Alphabet.  You can find the details and sign up here.

Not That Green Bean Casserole

Mom has been laid to rest with beautiful flowers, wonderful music, and a memorial that truly represented her life here on earth.  Thanks to all of you for your thoughts and prayers during the last week.  I am now back and hope that some of the recipes I post will be enjoyed by others.

Monday is the day that I welcome any new followers and thank those who read my blog.  So welcome and thank you all for taking time in your busy schedules to stop by.  I hope that the information provided here will be useful.

I have many recipes that I want to make and share during this holiday season that do not fit into the themed posting days I had set up, so I am putting them on hiatus until the first of the year.

Here is a recipe using green beans that can also be made with an equivalent amount of other cooked veggies such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, cauliflower, mixed vegetables, carrots, peas, etc.

Practically everyone knows about the famous green bean casserole. You know the one with the green beans, cream of mushroom soup, and French fried onions. Well, I have another offering, and there is not a can of cream soup in sight. If you are not a mushroom fan or just want something a little different, you might give this one a try.

This is a quick, easy, versatile recipe which is easily halved or doubled. It can be made with fresh, frozen, or canned green beans. I usually make this with canned as that is what my husband prefers.  Sometimes I saute some diced red pepper and/or celery in a little butter and add it to the green beans.  I use Worcestershire sauce and garlic pepper in this, but other herbs can be used. It is up to the imagination. I also vary the topping using Panko, dried bread crumbs, different kinds of nuts, cheese, and sometimes even use those French fried onions.

The yield is 6 servings, but if this is part of a dinner like Thanksgiving with many other dishes, this will easily serve 8 or more. There is just my husband and me, so I halve the recipe which is what is in the photo of the casserole below.

The original recipe is from Betty Crocker and appeared in “An Old Fashioned Holiday”, 1990, one of those little cookbooks available at the grocery store.

NOT That Green Bean Casserole
1 lb. fresh green beans, cut up, cooked or 4 c. frozen green beans, cooked, or 2 cans (16 oz. each) cut green beans
1 c. sour cream (can be low fat, do not use fat free)
2 T. flour
1/2 T. Worcestershire Sauce
1 t. garlic/ pepper blend or 1/2 t. garlic powder and 1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
3/4 t. salt (omit if using canned green beans)
1/4 c. milk
1 T. dried minced onion
1/3 c. panko or dry bread crumbs
1/4 c. chopped almonds
2 T. butter or margarine, melted (I don’t always use this)

In a 1 1/2 qt. greased casserole, mix sour cream, flour, Worcestershire Sauce, garlic/pepper, salt, milk and onion. Add drained green beans and mix until well combined. Combine panko or bread crumbs, almonds, and butter or margarine, if using. Sprinkle over the green beans. Bake at 350 degrees 30 minutes until top is lightly browned. Makes 6 servings.

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Green Beans and Corn with Bacon, Onion and Garlic

I always like to dress up my side dishes a little bit.  Here is a combination that I put together back in July.  This has been sitting in drafts for a while, and I thought that I should post it before it gets lost.

This is certainly simple and easy and can hardly be called a recipe, but maybe it will spark an idea for someone.  I used frozen corn and drained, canned green beans  (my hubby's preference).  Frozen cooked or fresh cooked green beans can be also used.

Green Beans and Corn with Bacon, Onion and Garlic
2 slices bacon
1/4 c. onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can (16 oz.) canned green beans, drained (or use about 1 1/2 c. cooked fresh or frozen)
1 1/4 c. cooked corn, fresh or frozen (can use 1 can (16 oz.) whole kernel corn, drained)

Fry bacon in a medium skillet until crisp.  Remove to paper towel to drain.  Drain off bacon grease,  leaving just a film in the bottom of the skillet.  Add the onion and garlic to the skillet.  Cook about 5 minutes or until tender.  Add green beans and corn.  Heat through.  Just before serving, crumble bacon and scatter over green beans and corn.  Makes about 4 servings.

Linking to Side Dish Saturday

Ingredient Spotlight-Curried Cream of Green Bean Soup with Bacon

Here is a little something different to do with green beans.  This makes a good, light soup for a summer lunch.  Green beans, bacon and a little curry powder.  All good things.  The crunchy bits of bacon make for a nice contrast to the creamy soup.  Of course, 2 cups of any other cooked vegetable can be used instead of the green beans, so one can have curried carrot, pea, asparagus, broccoli, or cauliflower soup.

Curried Cream of Green Bean Soup with Bacon

8 slices bacon, diced
1/2 c. chopped onion
!/3 c. chopped red pepper
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 T. butter
3 T. flour
1 (13 fl. oz.) can evaporated milk, regular or 2 %
2 c. cooked fresh or frozen green beans or 1 (16 oz.) can
1/4 t. curry powder
1t. instant chicken bouillon
1/2 c. water.
salt and pepper to taste

Fry bacon in a skillet until crisp, remove to paper towel to drain and set aside.  Drain skillet of bacon grease.  Add onion, red pepper, and garlic to skillet and cook in residual bacon grease until tender.  Set aside.  Melt butter in a medium size saucepan.  Add flour and stir until well blended.  Add evaporated milk and cook over medium heat until mixture begins to thicken.  Remove from heat.  Drain green beans if using canned, saving the liquid in a glass measuring cup.  Place green beans and 1/2 c. of reserved liquid in a blender or food processor.  Blend until smooth.  (If using cooked fresh or frozen green beans, use 1/2 c. water if you do not have the liquid from cooking the beans.)  Add green beans to milk mixture and mix well.  Return to heat.  Add curry powder and instant chicken bouillon.  Add the 1/2 c. water if mixture is too thick.  Cook over low heat 10 minutes stirring often until soup is heated through.  Ladle soup into serving bowls and top each serving with the onion bits.  Makes 4 servings.  Good served with Ritz Roasted Vegetable Crackers.

 Linking to Ingredient Spotlight

Ingredient Spotlight-Thyme Enough Casserole

This casserole is a nice dish to take to a potluck or other gathering.  It comes from a Chex recipe booklet that was put out when Chex were still made by Ralston Purina.  You can use whatever combination of vegetables that you prefer in this.  It just needs to be around 3 cups.  I usually use frozen mixed vegetables.  You can also use other herbs of your choice.

Thyme Enough Casserole
4 T. butter or margarine
2 1/2 c. Rice or Corn Chex cereal crushed to 1 1/2 c.
1/4 t. dried thyme
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 c. diced celery
1/4 c. finely chopped onion
1/2 t. salt
dash pepper
1/2-1 t. fresh thyme (may use 1/4 to 1/2 t. dried thyme if you don't have fresh)
1 can (10 3/4 oz..) condensed cream of mushroom or chicken soup or 1/3 c. Cream Soup Mix and 1 1/4 c. water.
1/2 c. chicken broth or water
1 1/2 c. cooked sliced carrots (canned, frozen or fresh)
1 1/2 c. cooked cut green beans (canned, frozen or fresh)

Melt butter in large skillet.  Remove 2 T. and combine with Chex and 1/4 t. dried thyme.  Mix thoroughly.  Set aside.
In remaining butter sauté garlic, celery, and onion until celery is tender, stirring often, about 10 minutes.  Add salt, pepper and fresh thyme to taste, soup and water.  Blend well.  Stir in carrots and green beans.  Turn into a greased shallow 1 1/2 qt. baking dish.  Top with reserved Chex mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly and top is lightly browned.  Makes 6 (3/4 cup) servings.  Can easily be doubled.

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