In Retrospect, I Should Have Bought the Canned Green Beans

Today was First Family Noon Meal after church.  In certain months for special occasions, the church caters the meat and people are loosely assigned a dish category according to your last name.  Today, A-J folks were bringing the vegetables.  (Of course, it’s not like you can’t jump ship and bring a dessert, but this way, it helps ensure we’re not all just gnawing on pie crust.)

So, I tried a new recipe.  Now, I realize that my choice might be sketchy at best…that is, trying a new side dish for the first time on my Christian brothers and sisters.  Often times, my first attempt at a new recipe ends up looking something more like a 3^rd grade science experiment and not something you want to feed to your best friend’s grandma.  But then again, what a better opportunity?  No one knows who brought what and there’s safety in that kind of anonymity, at least when it’s so inconsequential.  Right?  Maybe Grandma Jean should skip the black, foil lined crock pot this time around…yes?...no?  Anyway, in my defense, I threw it together last night so that I’d at least know that it looked edible before taking it to church.  And, I even made a green bean casserole as penance on the chance that the first recipe was a flop.  (That, and that fact that my kid eats like a grown man, renders me in need of offering more than just the one dish.  In retrospect, I should have bought the canned green beans, though, because I didn’t realize I’d have to cook the frozen ones before making the casserole.  But that’s not what this story is about…)

I made Bacon & Cheese Crock Pot Potatoes…and you know what?  They were really good.  (So, Grandma Jean, if you did get you some of that black, foil lined crock pot, everything should be just fine J)  I figure you might want to try this too.  It’s super simple and crazy yummy which means, it certainly didn’t make the cut for the healthiest dish but that too, is not what this story is about! 

You can find the recipe here.  I did read the comments below the recipe and made some modifications to mine.  First, I doubled the recipe which would have resulted in using 8 oz of bacon, but instead, I used a pound (again, we’re going for taste here…).  Second, Adam isn’t crazy about onions so I didn’t dice any, instead, I used minced onions to boost the flavor without giving everyone that strong onion breath.  Third, I cooked on low for seven hours instead of the 10-12 hours suggested in the recipe.  I had plenty of time and could have cooked it that long but at seven hours, the potatoes were completely tender; if I left it for the entire amount of time allotted, I’m pretty sure parts of it would have been scorched.  If you’re in the mood for comfort food or if it’s chilly where you are, this might be just the side dish for you. We at least know it’s safe for your best friend’s grandma!