Blue Cheese Green Bean Almondine

I absolutely love green beans, especially fresh picked from the garden at my mom's house (though I usually have to settle for frozen ones from the grocery store).  Just cooking them up with a little butter, salt, and pepper is heavenly to me.  The problem with that is that my husband does not love them, especially when they are simply cooked so the lovely green bean flavor really comes through.  So I am always on the lookout for different ways to cook them that will let me enjoy my lovely beans but that my husband will still like.  This zingy version of the classic green bean almondine fits the bill perfectly.  The almonds give it a great crunch and the garlic and blue cheese give it that extra something that will convince your less-than-enthusiastic green bean eaters that maybe beans aren't so bad after all.

Blue Cheese Green Bean Almondine

Number of Servings: 4-6
Time to Prepare: 15 minutes

• 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp butter
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds
• 6 cloves minced garlic
• 1 pound green beans (fresh or frozen)
• kosher salt
• black pepper
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• 2 oz crumbled blue cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a small frying pan over medium heat, melt 1 tsp butter.  Add sliced almonds and stir to coat.  Cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned.  Scrape into a small bowl.

In the same pan, add the 1 Tbsp butter and melt.  Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and very fragrant.  While the garlic cooks, steam the green beans for 5 to 7 minutes until crisp tender.

Stir the garlic and almonds into the green beans and season with kosher salt and black pepper to taste.  Add a pinch of cayenne and the blue cheese and stir to combine.  Pour into a 2 quart baking dish and bake for about 5 minutes, until the cheese is melty.

Source: adapted from Allrecipes
Produce Used: Garlic, green beans