Warm Balsamic Green Beans for #SundaySupper

Summer time is upon us! To me, that means evenings that stretch into forever and–especially this year, thanks to my CSA–lots and lots of fresh produce. And to celebrate the start of the summer months, the #SundaySupper group is focusing on “Simple and Fresh Summer Recipes.” And this week, we even got to try out a new product…

LAND O LAKES® new Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt comes in half-stick sizes, which makes it super convenient for dinner prep (messing with excessive tablespoons is no fun when you’re also worrying about garlic and onion sweating it out on the stove). The hints of savory olive oil and tangy sea salt–two ingredients I already use a lot–are designed to enhance the flavors of the foods you’re working with, whether you use the butter as a spread or cooking ingredient. Plus it’s gluten-free and kosher!

As part of #SundaySupper’s mission to inspire weekly family meals, I chose to prepare a side dish that everyone would go bonkers for. Parents can reassure themselves that they’re packing their children full of veggies thanks to the fresh green beans, pepper, and onion; kids will fight over the crunchy, sweet caramelized walnut topping–dare I say it’s almost like adding candy to your dinner? The whole thing is doused in a sweet and tangy honey balsamic sauce that you may or may not find yourself wiping off the plate with your finger. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

The Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt lent a subtle but really scrumptious depth of flavor to this dish–it took regular salted butter to the next level, for sure. Don’t believe me? Well read on, because at the end of this post I’m giving you a chance to win some butter of your own! (And you can check out the other #SundaySupper posters here!)

Warm Balsamic Green Beans
Adapted from LAND O LAKES®

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1 tbsp LAND O LAKES® Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt
• 1 tbsp brown sugar

• 3 tbsp LAND O LAKES® Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt
• 1/4 cup sweet white onion, chopped
• 2 tsp garlic, minced (about 1 large clove)
• 1 cup green bell pepper, chopped (about 1 medium-sized pepper)
• 1 lb green beans, ends trimmed and chopped in half
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp honey

1. Place first three ingredients (for topping) in a small nonstick skillet. Cook, stirring continuously, over medium-low heat for about 7 minutes, until walnuts are caramelized and butter and sugar have formed a syrup. Remove from heat and spread on wax paper to cool.
2. In another large saucepan, melt 3 tbsp butter until it begins to sizzle. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion begins to soften, 3-5 minutes.
3. Add green beans, bell pepper, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
4. Cover and continue to cook for 8 minutes, until green beans are crisp-tender.
5. Add honey and vinegar and stir to coat. Then recover saucepan and allow to cook for 2 more minutes, until sauce has thickened.
6. Remove from heat and serve topped with caramelized walnuts. Die of culinary joy.

And as I mentioned above, I’ve got good news! I’m giving away a full-value coupon so that you can try out the new Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt for yourself. To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment and answer the following question:

The giveaway is closed! The winner is Kate from FoodBabbles. Congratulations, Kate!

What is your favorite recipe made with butter?

Contest will run until Friday, June 15, at 11:59 EST. The winner will be determined via a random number generator software program and will be notified via the contact email provided on the comment contact form. If the winner does not respond within 24 hours, another winner will be selected. Good luck!

About LAND O LAKES® Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt: Land O’Lakes is expanding its popular line of half-stick butter with the introduction of LAND O LAKES® Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt. This new product contains wholesome ingredients: sweet cream, olive oil and sea salt. LAND O LAKES® Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt is an easy and convenient way to simply enhance the flavor of your favorite foods. Available in a premeasured half-stick size, this new product can be used for topping and cooking a variety of foods, combining the two ingredients consumers often combine separately when frying or sautéing foods. The delicious taste of butter and olive oil will add delicious flavor to any dish. You can visit LAND O LAKES® on Facebook or Twitter for more information!

Disclosure: I received a full-value coupon redeemable for LAND O LAKES® Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt, for recipe development and review purposes. All opinions are my own.