Another recipe for Thanksgiving! 
The one I told you about last week that we've been making a ton. It happened totally by accident, I buy the really thin haricots vert at Trader Joe's at least every other week, and one night they were the veg of choice to go with whatever carb and protein of choice were happening. I knew I wanted to add something pickly with something creamy because I think those two things just contrast so well and make boring side dishes exciting. 
And these are, like, totes exciting for green beans.
I use pickled cherry peppers from TJ's too, but any kind of pickly pepper that you like will work great! Smoked paprika adds a ton of flavor almost in a grilled or bacon-y way, and I've never had anyone, even vegetarians, complain that things taste kind of like bacon. It's a really great spice to keep on hand to meat-up meat-free dishes!
For these you'll need trimmed green beans, pickled cherry peppers, garlic, smoked paprika, vegetable stock, heavy cream, olive oil, and salt. If you don't care about the vegetarian aspect of things you can of course use chicken stock. 
First, drain and slice whatever peppers you're using, mince the garlic, and heat a skillet to medium-high with a drizzle of olive oil.
When the skillet is hot, add the green beans. We sear them a little bit first for some really good color on the outside. 
Toss the green beans around for about 5 minutes, letting them rest in between tosses to get those little charred bits. 
When the green beans are cooked on the outside but still raw on the inside, pour in the chicken stock and add the garlic, peppers, and smoked paprika to the skillet with a sprinkle of salt. Toss everything together and let the green beans cook for 5-7 minutes until the stock has nearly all reduced. 
Then, pour in the cream. Use tongs or a spoon to mix the cream into the skillet, and add a little more stock if the pan is very dry. Taste a bean and add more salt - how much you need will depend on the saltiness of your stock. 
By now the beans should be tender but not mushy, and hugely flavorful from the garlic and peppers. You can make these well in advance and then heat them up on the stove or in a casserole dish in the oven or microwave, which makes them perfect for the holidays when it seems like everyone always needs the exact. same. heat. source for their dishes, right? This can be reheated a few ways, so don't stress. 
These are delicious, whether you use them for a big family meal or just for Wednesday. Enjoy!
Spicy Creamy Green Beans
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups trimmed green beans or haricots vert
- 1 cup vegetable stock plus more if needed
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 4 pickled hot cherry peppers sliced
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ cup heavy cream
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat a large skillet to medium-high heat with the olive oil. Add the green beans and let cook for about 5 minutes, tossing twice, to sear the outside of the beans. Add the stock, garlic, peppers, and smoked paprika to the skillet. Toss the beans with the other ingredients, and let cook for 5-7 minutes more until the stock is nearly reduced and the beans are tender.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the cream. Toss the beans with the sauce. Add more stock to thin the sauce if the skillet seems dry. Taste a green bean, and add as much salt as you'd like.
- Serve immediately, or reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave later.
- Enjoy!
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