Bacon and Garlic Green Beans with a Balsamic Glaze.

Thanksgiving doesn't need to be complicated.  Here is a super simple veggie side.

Ingredients.
2 tbsp of butter.
2 cloves of garlic
3 strips of bacon cut into small pieces
1 lb of fresh green beans with the ends trimmed off.
1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar

Add your trimmed green beans to a pan with a little bit of water and cook them just until they turn bright green.  Then put your green beans into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.  Let them chill for a minute then drain and dry off on paper towels.  Set aside for the moment.

Add 1/2 a cup of balsamic vinegar to a saucepan and put it over medium high heat.  Whisking very frequently, bring to a gentle bubble.  You want to cook it until it reduces by about 1/2.  It will still look watery in the pan until it cools off a bit.  Warning this is a smelly vinegary process.. you might want to do this the day before if you have a house full of guests.  It will stay beautifully on the counter covered for a day or so.  Definitely open a window.

Brown your bacon in a pan until its nice and crispy.  Drain and set aside.

Add the butter to the empty pan you cooked your green beans in and sautee the 2 cloves of garlic on medium heat until fragrant. Watch your garlic, because burnt garlic can ruin a dish.  Once the garlic is cooked, add your cooked beans and bacon back to the pan and toss together until warmed through.

Put in a serving dish and drizzle with your balsamic glaze and you are good to go!

- Jess xoxo