Summer is here folks and these spicy dill pickled green beans are the perfect summer recipe! If you’ve never preserved anything before and you’re nervous about it, don’t be!! This is a perfect recipe to start with and I promise you, it’s easier than it sounds. You can do this!

I am pretty excited to share these with you just because they taste SO GOOD. Also because these beans are super easy to make plus green beans and dill are literally the easiest thing to grow in your garden (besides mint) and so it makes it that much better when you can grow it AND preserve it all by yourself. I don’t know why but I get super excited about making something fresh with my own hands and putting it away for the winter. Maybe I am just a nerd but it brings me absolute PURE JOY! Marie Kondo would be so proud.

These Spicy Dill Pickled Green Beans are crunchy and dilly and have just a bit of a kick. They are the perfect snack or garnish and they go with just about anything. Trust me, you are going to love them!

Give the gift of Spicy Dill Pickled Green Beans

These beans make the perfect gift for any occasion but I LOVE giving them out at Christmas. If you’ve read any of my Christmas journals then you know that the last thing anyone needs is more junk. Seriously, we have stuff for our stuff and it’s actually overwhelming. Cue the spicy dill pickled beans now.

Depending on what I’ve grown that year I might add in some yellow wax beans as well. They look so cute with the little tags on them all tied  up with twine and I just love all the colors in the jar! The green and yellow beans paired with the red chilli flakes just look so yummy! For this recipe I did a mix of green beans and yellow wax beans but you can do just green beans or just yellow beans if you like.

One of my favorite things to do is put together gift baskets for friends and family. I love filling them with delicious home canned goods and treats and I can hardly wait to start planning next years as soon as this years are gone. I start planning them in early June and do all the canning when the ingredients are fresh during the summer. Plus that gives them plenty of time to rest and let all those wonderful flavours come together. Peaches, jam’s, and salsa’s are just a few ideas of things you can include. I love collecting things for them throughout the year and I’m pretty sure people love receiving them just as much!

Get your FREE Spicy Dill Pickled Green Beans tag here!

How to eat these beans

Not only are these spicy dill pickled green beans a yummy snack, but they taste even better in a caesar or a bloody mary! If you’re American and you’re not sure what a caesar is then stop what you’re doing right now and go make one. This is a great recipe.  I love throwing in a few of my pickled beans in with a pepperoni stick and some bocconcini cheese! YUM!!!

Speaking of Caesar- Check out my Ultimate Chicken Caesar Pasta Recipe Here!

Even if all I did was eat them in caesar’s I would be winning. But the fun doesn’t stop there. There are SO many more options. Throw them on a charcuterie board the next time your entertaining or serve them with some olives and crackers. Eat them on a hot dog at your next backyard BBQ (yes you read that right) or just serve them as a side for dinner and watch how fast they go.

How to make spicy dill pickled green beans

Before you start I am going to recommend a few items that I ACTUALLY use myself. It makes the process much easier and I really wouldn’t want to do it without these items. The good news is once you see how awesome it feels to preserve you’re going to want to preserve everything and you will already have all the tools you need to do so.

CANNING TOOLS

1. Mason Jars –  Obviously you can’t preserve anything without the jars and these ones are my favorite. They are great but they also look pretty if you want to give some out as a gift.
2. Canning Kit – This will come with everything else you need. The pot is a specific type of pot and the lifter is SO important! The jars will be extremely hot and difficult to remove from the water so I really suggest you get one. If the kit is out of your price range you can start by getting just the pot and the lifter. Don’t forget your pot will still need a wire rack!

In this recipe I will take you through sterilizing your jars. This is super important and you should take this step seriously. My mother put the fear of God in me when I was little,  and I don’t think I will ever be able to open a jar without thinking of botulism. Probably not healthy, but it’s true. Anyway, the moral of the story here is canning is safe and healthy if done correctly so don’t get lazy here. You can find out more information here.

Listen, I know this seems like a lot if you have never preserved anything before but DON”T BE INTIMIDATED! It’s actually pretty easy once you get the hang of it and spicy dill pickled green beans are a great recipe to start with. If you have any questions I am here for you and I respond pretty quickly so send me a note or drop a comment below!

Sterilizing your jars

Back in the day people used to spend lots of time sterilizing their jars before canning however now some things have changed. According to the National Center for Home Food Preservation canned goods that are being placed in a hot water bath for 10 minutes or more no longer require sterilization because the jars and food will be sterilized in the process. Makes sense, but I’m old school and I still do it. Because these green beans are only cooked for 10 minutes (you could do 12 to make you feel better) I still like to sterilize my jars. I guess the better safe than sorry rule applies here.

So here’s how I do it.

First preheat your oven to 225 degree F. Then wash your jars with warm soapy water and be sure to rinse them well. You don’t want any soap in those jars!! Place all your jars onto a baking sheet (no need to dry them). Place the sheet of mason jars in the oven for at least 10 minutes and voila, your jars are sterile! I actually just leave them in there until I’m ready to fill them. To sterilize your lids simply place them in a pot of almost boiling water and let them simmer.

Preparing your beans

Believe it or not, this is actually the most time consuming part of the recipe. BECAUSE you need to trim your beans to size.  Your beans can’t be bigger than the mouth of the jar or the lids wont seal (obviously) so have a jar handy to measure. You’ll want them to be about 1/4 inch shorter than your lids. Make sure to pre wash your beans as well.

Filling the jars

Okay, now that we have our jars sterilized and our beans trimmed we can start to pack our jars.

Place the following in each jar

• 6 sprigs of fresh dill
• 1 clove of garlic (peeled and cut in half)
• 1 tsp of mustard seeds
• 1 tsp of dry chili flakes (use more or less for desired heat)

Next pack your jar with beans. Then bring your water, vinegar, and salt to a boil and carefully ladle into each jar filling to about 1/4 inch to the top.  You’ll want to take a stir stick (or a chopstick) and slide it down the inside edges of the jar to get rid of little air bubbles. Check your brine level again (you may need to add a bit more).

Gently wipe the top of your jars to make sure no liquid will affect the seal. Then screw on your lids. You don’t want the rings to be to tight. Firm but not tight! Before you bathe your jars in hot water, make sure you have a space set up where you can leave them for 24 hours. You won’t be able to move them again so don’t put them somewhere they will be in the way.

Place your jars in your hot water bath (large canning pot of boiling water) for 10 minutes and then very carefully remove.  Let sit for 24 hours and dont touch them! You’re going to want to but don’t!! You should hear your jars begin to pop as well! Popping is a great sound. It means the jars are sealing.

Note: This method is for canning at an altitude of 1,000 feet or less. For altitudes up to 3,000 feet, add 5 minutes; 6,000 feet, add 10 minutes; 8,000 feet, add 15 minutes; 10,000 feet, add 20 minutes. See more here 

Checking your seal

After your spicy dill pickled green beans have set for 24 hours you can now check your seal.

Press your finger down on the middle of the lid. If the lid springs back up, the jar is not sealed. You may have gotten some food or liquid under the lid and this would prevent it from sealing properly. Yes you can still eat the beans, however I would keep them in the fridge and eat within a few weeks.

Another option out there is to tap the lid with the bottom of a teaspoon. If the lid makes a dull sound it’s not sealed. If it makes a high pitched sound it is. I generally don’t like this method because I’m not good with sounds and I always just wonder if i’m hearing the right sound so I prefer to just press down on the lid.

You can get some more information on sealing jars here.

Spicy Dill Pickled Green Beans Recipe

Alright, that was a LOT of information but it was necessary. Canning is something you will definitely fall in love with and once you get the hang of things it will be a breeze. Invite some friends over and make a day of it. Give yourself lots of time and have fun!

I hope you love this recipe as much as I do!

Love green beans? Check out this ULTIMATE GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE!

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Spicy Dill Pickled Beans

These preserved spicy dill pickled green beans are a delicious way to enjoy green beans. A perfect snack or go great on a charcuterie board or in a caesar or bloody mary. Enjoy these fresh crispy green beans all year round.

Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword canned, canning ], dill pickled beans, green beans, mason jar, preserving, spicy pickled, yellow wax beans

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4 Jars

Ingredients

• 4 mason jars 500ml sterilized
• 1 lb green beans washed and trimmed
• 1 lb yellow beans washed and trimmed
• 1 bunch fresh dill
• 4 large cloves of garlic peeled
• 4 tsp mustard seeds
• 4 tsp red pepper chili flakes

BRINE

• 2 ½ cups water
• 2 ½ cups white vinegar %5 or pickling vinegar
• 2 tbsp pickling salt

Instructions

Sanitizing Your Jars

• Preheat your oven to 225 ° and line mason jars (lids removed) onto a cookie sheet.
• Place washed jars into the oven for at least 10 minutes. I leave mine in until I am ready to fill.
• Place lids and rings into a pot of hot water. Bring temperature up to almost boiling and then simmer.

Directions

• Pack each sterilized jar with 6 sprigs of fresh dill, 1 clove of garlic (peeled and cut in half), 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds, and 1 tsp of dry chili flakes (use less or more to control heat)
• Add your trimmed beans
• In a large saucepan bring the water, vinegar, and pickling salt to a boil.
• Carefully fill each jar with hot brine leaving about ¼ inch of space (try not to splash any on the rims as this can affect your seal and cause bacteria to grow, I always use my canning funnel)
• Gently wipe the ring of the jar with a clean cloth to ensure no droplets are on it. Cover with sterilized lids and screw bands on. You want them to be tight but don't over tighten.
• Bring your canning pot to a full boil and carefully place jars inside. Hot water bathe them for 10 minutes and carefully remove them. Find a spot for them to rest and do not touch for 24 hours! Seriously, don't do it. I know it's hard but don't do it. You should start to hear them popping!
• After 24 hours has passed you can check the seal by pressing the middle of the lid with a finger or thumb. If the lid springs up when  you release your finger, the lid is unsealed
• Label and date your jars and move beans to a storage cellar or a cool dark place. Let sit for a minimum of 2-3 weeks before eating. NOTE you can eat them right away but they won't taste as good! The longer these guys sit the better they taste so if you can hold off trying them for a little while it will be worth it.

I’ve connected with some amazing Bloggers to share some Summer themed blogs with you. Head to each of their blogs to check out what they are sharing!

Cheyenne
www.babybumpsandmombuns.com
Jessica
www.mamabearwooten.com
Ashley
www.fairleysimple.com
Laila
www.thegoodwivesblog.com
Kimmy
www.kimmymanzo.home.blog

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We have been LOVING these easy breakfast waffles over here. I know I can’t be the only one who is literally spending their days cooking and eating everything in sight. Like honestly forget the freshman 15, were talking the covid 19 over here.  From fresh baked bread to elaborate suppers, you can bet we’re cooking it. And to be honest. I’m not complaining. I’ve actually been loving it. Trying new recipes and tackling those southern biscuits are almost as much fun as eating them. I’m definitely in my happy place.

I know I’ve said it before but I am really enjoying all the extra time I am getting with my kids. Don’t get me wrong, there are some days I seriously want to lose my mind, okay a lot of days, but for the most part waffle breakfasts in our pj’s have been pretty darn nice. Just getting to BE together is nice.

I’ve been working on this waffle recipe for a while. Trying out different combinations of ingredients and to be honest my kids are still not sick of them. THEY ARE THAT GOOD!

What’s so great about these waffles?

For starters, they taste amazing. They are the perfect amount of crunchy on the outside and sweet and fluffy on the inside. You can make a large batch of batter and keep it in the fridge for the week. If you’re not interested in busting out the waffle maker every day you can easily make a big batch ahead of time and keep the prepared waffles in the fridge. My kids just pop them in the toaster and they are just as good as when they were fresh made!

The toppings are endless and these will be perfect for those busy school mornings if we ever get back there. There is only one mixing bowl (your welcome) and with minimal ingredients and minimal effort these waffles are just simple and easy. Just the way we like it.

Oh and don’t even get me started on waffles for dinner. Who doesn’t LOVE chicken and waffles? I absolutely LOVE Half Baked Harvests Oven Fried Southern Hot Honey Chicken, to be honest I absolutely love everything she makes, and I can already imagine it served up with these waffles. SO GOOD! If we’re going to be quarantined to our homes we might as well eat all the good comfort food. Just sayin.

Xavier crook

A lot of people are intimidated by waffles and I’m not sure why? It’s like somewhere over time people just decided waffles were special. They reserved making them for special occasions and holidays. Like Christmas and Mother’s Day brunches. They aren’t really thinking waffle wednesday you know what I’m saying? But I’m here to say no. These waffles are to easy and to delicious to wait that long to eat them. I’m here to bring back Waffle Wednesday’s back one waffle at a time.

What you need

– A waffle iron

– mixing bowl

-whisk or electric beater

-spatula

-measuring cups and spoons

You don’t need a lot of fancy things for these easy breakfast waffles but you will need a waffle iron. I have this one and love it. It’s super easy to use and clean and it’s half the price of the really expensive ones and I’m all about that.

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Easy Breakfast Waffles

Delicious and easy breakfast waffles, crisp on the outside and sweet and fluffy on the inside. Perfect for breakfast lunch or dinner. Can be made ahead and toasted for a quick breakfast or the batter can be kept in the fridge.

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Main Course, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword breakfast, brunch, waffles

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 2 eggs beaten
• 2 cups flour all purpose
• 1 ¾ milk
• ½ cups butter salted
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 4 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 ¼ tsp vanilla extract
• non stick cooking spray

Instructions

• Preheat  your waffle iron and spray with non stick spray
• Add eggs, flour, milk, melted butter, vegetable oil, sugar, baking powder, salt, and vanilla extract to a large mixing bowl. Beat on low until mixed
• Pour batter into waffle iron and cook until golden brown (mine only takes about 2 min!)

Notes

Don’t forget to add your favorite toppings. We love fresh strawberries, blueberries, and peaches. Whipped cream, real maple syrup or peanut butter and Nutella!

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With American Thanksgiving just a week away, I thought this would be a perfect time to share my HOMEMADE Green Bean Casserole. It’s so yummy and comforting and you can honestly mix it up any way you like. Bacon? Mushrooms? You can do it all. I’ll share a few of my variations down below. Anyway, it’s a perfect dish to bring along to family gatherings and goes great with a side of FOOTBALL. You’re welcome.

Thanksgiving done right

You might not have figured this out yet but I love food. And I love America, which is why I am so excited to head down to the states next weekend. Canadian Thanksgiving is long gone and while I am proud to be Canadian, I will be the first to admit that America does Thanksgiving right. The food, the football, and it’s on a THURSDAY! They just shut right down from there on and I love it. It’s like a kick off to all things Christmas and it’s amazing.

I’ll be spending my American Thanksgiving at CRACKER BARREL. Which in case you didn’t know (you’re not from around here are you) is my favorite place on earth. Followed by an awesome weekend with some of my favorite people. You might even catch me at a Bengals game. Guys doesn’t this already sound glorious? Fried chicken, white gravy, my favorite people and football. Stick a fork in me because I’m done. Who knows, with all the magic that’s in the air maybe the Bengals will actually win a game. But hey, if they don’t at least there’s leftover turkey which always makes everyone feel better.

Okay, back to the green bean casserole.

Or should I say the ultimate green bean casserole. I have been making this recipe for years and I have so many variations of it depending on who I am serving it to, but this version is my favorite. The cheesy roux sauce is so good you could eat it with a spoon, and those crunchy fried onions are the perfect pairing. I have yet to meet someone who doesn’t love it, and I really don’t think you can have Thanksgiving or even a Sunday dinner without this.

A couple of things.

A couple of things to note. I absolutely HATE mushrooms. I have never understood how people can like them? SO you will probably never see me cooking with them. In fact I can almost guarantee you will never see me cooking with them. That being said, I know there are a few people out there that love them (how??) and you can easily saute some up and throw them in here. I say don’t do it though. DO add bacon. I tend to leave it out when I am bringing this dish to a larger gathering in case there are vegetarians but if you know your group then add that bacon!

If you find you are pressed for time and can’t whip up a cheesy roux, then I LOVE substituting it for a can of cream of broccoli soup, 1 cup of milk and a cup of cheese. It tastes just as good!

Prep! This recipe goes much smoother if you pre-measure your ingredients. I like to mince my garlic and grate my cheese, and have everything else measured out in dishes ready to go. Call me crazy but once I start I just like to go at it and this is a good way to focus on what you’re making instead of getting distracted by multi tasking.

I think pretty dishes are an easy way to take your casseroles up a notch. Also they make me feel happy, so make this dish in your nicest 1.5Qt-2Qt baking dish.

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The Ultimate Green Bean Casserole

Thanksgiving isn't complete without this classic green bean casserole made from scratch. Tastes just like your grandma used to make. Fresh green beans, french's onions, bacon, and a whole lot of cheese. SO good. The perfect Thanksgiving side dish or Sunday dinner staple.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword casseroles, comfort food, dinner recipes, green bean casserole, green beans, side dishes, sunday dinner, Thanksgiving Dinner, Thanksgiving sides

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 680g fresh green beans about 1 bag, washed and trimmed
• 6 slices bacon cooked and chopped into pieces
• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp dry mustard powder
• 2 ¼ cups of whole milk
• 1½ cups shredded cheese orange cheddar, or marble
• 1 cup French's fried onions

Instructions

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat the oven to 350 °
• In a large frying pan, cook your bacon and set aside.
• In a large pot of boiling water cook the green beans for about 5 minutes. Don't overcook them. After 5 minutes run them under cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain and place in a baking dish.
• In a medium saucepan, melt the butter then add garlic and cook for about 1 minute or until fragrant.
• Whisk in your flour and then cook for about two minutes.
• Slowly whisk in the milk, stirring constantly, and then add in your salt, pepper, and dry mustard. Whisk your sauce for a few minutes while your sauce thickens up and then slowly whisk in your cheese.
• Pour over green beans and mix well. Add in half your french's fried onions reserving half for the topping.
• Add in your chopped bacon, mix well.
• Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Remove and top with remaining fried onions and bake for an additional 5 minutes

Need a little sweet treat for dessert? Try these Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies or Milk Chocolate M&M Cookies. You won’t be disappointed!

Enjoy!

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Fall is here and this Harvest Soup is going to be your new favorite thing. I don’t know why but lately I’ve been into soups. Which is actually crazy because growing up as a kid, I always felt that it was a great injustice to be served soup for supper. Soup? Really? Where’s the rest of my meal? She’s trying to starve me I would think to myself as I watched my mother serve it up. I couldn’t understand why adults would waste a ridiculously good opportunity to eat something great on soup.

Well I’m a big girl now, and just like I understand the need for a good Sunday afternoon nap, I have a also learned to appreciate a good bowl of soup.  I will say though,  that if your going to serve soup for supper, then you better have some real good bread to serve with it. I mean something fresh baked and cheesy maybe. I’m all about the cheese bread. In fact anything less would probably be unacceptable.

I actually made this soup by accident. I started off making another soup and realized I didn’t have half the ingredients I needed and ended up throwing this all together. The results were fabulous and I just had to blog it before I forget what I did. Forgive the picture as it really doesn’t do this soup justice. But again, I really wasn’t planning on blogging it!

I used my my absolute favorite dutch oven pot. I picked mine up a few years ago at the Care and Share thrift shop. It was $6 and I LOVE it, but you can use any large pot. Whenever I make soup, I make it in the morning so it has time to mesh and all that lovely stuff. I let it simmer for about an hour and turn it off for the day. You can thicken it up a bit when reheating it, just before serving. I find soup always tastes better after its sat on the stove for the day and don’t really trust those 2 hour soup recipes.

I served this Harvest Soup with mini B.L.T.S (bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches) on fresh cheese bread and it was wonderful!

As always, enjoy!

Laila

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