Paul's Favorite Green Beans

Here you go, family--you've been asking for this recipe so we'll just see if you read the blog. And if they aren't reading it, perhaps the two people that do read this will appreciate the recipe and I'll get the recipe to the fam at another time in another way.

Paul's mom got this recipe from a friend and has been making it for years. It's in my cookbook as "Donna E's Secret Recipe Green Beans." We usually call them them "Paul's Favorite" because it's both shorter and more accurate. Paul requested these for the luncheon at our wedding reception. The caterer liked them so much that he used the recipe at another dinner my parents attended shortly after our wedding. I've made these for several potlucks and they always get rave reviews. One of my coworkers called me a few years ago on Thanksgiving morning to get the recipe. I'd given it to her after a school potluck but she couldn't find it and was jonesing for them for the holidays. I'll be the first to admit that these are some good eating.

We've discovered that we like the green beans a little saucier so I normally use only three cans of green beans. If I do use the four cans the recipe calls for, I'll add more chili sauce. We've also been known to go a bit crazy with the bacon. I think we can all admit that this isn't really a bad thing because bacon is good./1/ I've also been known to go totally wacky and add some garlic powder or dried onion. Whatever--it's all good.

Paul's Favorite Green Beans

4 15-oz cans green beans, drained
2 slices bacon
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. salt (I reduce or omit this if we add an extra slice or two of bacon)
1 tsp. brown sugar
1/2 cup chili sauce (such as Heinz)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook bacon and drain grease. Crumble.

Mix all ingredients together. Pour into a greased 2 qt. casserole dish. Bake for 30 minutes. Eat and enjoy copious amounts. Hide leftovers from spouse because he will eat them all and not share any.

/1/At our gym, our trainer had us fill out a food survey so that we could have a "complete fitness plan" with an exercise and a meal plan. One of the questions was "I like to eat bacon." That has now become a motto around our house because for all my talk about not eating much meat, I had to answer a big fat YES (my carnivore husband didn't even hesitate with his answer). One of the little pleasures in my life is a good BLT made with hot crispy bacon. Yum-o. One of Paul's former coworkers became a vegetarian several years ago. She said that bacon was one of the hardest things to give up--she'll still have an occasional dream about bacon. So adding in an extra slice or two isn't a bad thing if it's going to add a smile to your face and a yummy to your tummy.