Sausage, Green Bean and Sweet Potato Medley

The garden is bursting with green beans these days. I looked on line for some recipes using green beans. I wanted something that would feature vegetables since I love them so much. After reading quite a few recipes, I came up with this combination. It was good for dinner and I froze another dish of it for the future. I hope it thaws reasonably well. We'll see.

Sweet potatoes, green beans and Italian sausage combine with sauteed onions and peppers to make a very satisfying dish. 

Sausage, Green Bean and Sweet Potato Medley

1 pound mild (or hot) Italian sausage (I used turkey sausage)
3 cups of cut green beans (cut into 1 - 1 1/2 inch lengths)
3 cups of cubed and peeled sweet potato
1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 medium sweet red pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the Italian sausage either by baking or frying, let cool, then slice 1/2 inch thick. 

Place the prepared green beans in a saucepan, add an inch of water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer about 5 minutes until crisp tender. Drain and set aside.

Place the prepared sweet potato cubes in a saucepan, add an inch of water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes until tender when pierced with a knife, but not mushy. Drain and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet. If you fry the sausages, you could use the drippings from that instead of the olive oil. Add the onion and red pepper and saute until tender but not brown. Add the garlic and saute for another minute. Add the oregano.

Combine the sausage, green beans, sweet potatoes, and sauteed onions and peppers in a large bowl. Stir gently to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place in an open baking dish and pour the chicken broth over top. Bake until heated through, about 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Cover if baking longer. 

S

Green Beans with Sage and Bacon

My garden is bursting with green beans these days. I'm freezing a lot of them for soups and stews in the winter, and we're looking for new ways to eat them fresh, too. Bacon is always good with green beans, and I wondered about trying sage with them, since my sage bush is enormous. I think they marry well - the brightness of crisp tender beans plus salty bacon plus earthy sage - with a little onion added in. 

Green Beans with Sage and Bacon

Green beans, tailed and tipped - about 3 cups
4 slices bacon
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced (about 1/4 cup or less)
1 Tablespoon minced fresh sage
salt and pepper to taste

Place the beans in a saucepan and cover with a little water. Salt and bring to a boil, covered. Simmer until barely tender and still bright green. The younger the beans, the less time it will take. 
Meanwhile, cook the bacon slices until crisp. Remove from the pan and let drain on paper towel.
In a small skillet, heat the olive oil and add the onions. Saute until softened. Add the sage and saute for a few minutes until the mixture is fragrant. 
Combine all ingredients and season to taste.