Balance Your Plate with Stouffer’s and Sauteed Garlic Green Beans {Recipe}

This post is in collaboration with Balance Your Plate and Stouffer’s. As part of the collaboration, I received product and incentives in exchange for participating in the program.

If your family is anything like mine, the words “What should we have for dinner?” pose a very loaded question, especially around the holidays.  It typically leads to a long discussion about what we don’t want, followed by a discussion about what ingredients we currently have in the house, and ends with a rundown of the kids’ extracurricular activity schedule and holiday events calendar to determine how much time we have to cook.  In the end, we find very few answers and end up scrounging through the fridge for anything edible around 10pm at night.

So when my husband texted me on Monday asking what we were doing for dinner, I let out a groan.  I had no idea.  Quite literally, not a clue.  And to compound the issue, we had friends stopping by to visit before they left for the Thanksgiving holiday.  Not only did I need to figure out dinner, but I needed to find something that could feed a crowd for a pre-holiday get together.  Lucky for me, my husband was already at the grocery store and had a brilliant idea – Stouffer’s Lasagna with Meat & Sauce!

Packed with 16 grams of protein per serving and fresh ingredients, Stouffer’s Lasagna with Meat & Sauce has been a menu favorite in my family for years.  We typically serve the Party Size Stouffer’s Lasagna with Meat & Sauce our parties and get togethers, but the Stouffer’s Large Family Size Lasagna with Meat & Sauce is perfect for dinnertime and smaller crowds.   Freshly made pasta layered between a rich meat sauce and topped with real mozzarella cheese is always a hit with my kids, so no need to make a separate meal.

And right now there’s even more to love about Stouffer’s, because Stouffer’s recently announced it’s new “Kitchen Cupboard” commitment, promising products consisting of simple recipes with ingredients that you can recognize and that you would have in your own cupboard.  Think vine-ripened tomatoes, freshly made pasta, and real mozzarella cheese.  Stouffer’s is working on expanding this initiative to all products over the next few years, but decided to start with their classic Stouffer’s Lasagna with Meat & Sauce.  If change makes you nervous, don’t be.  The Stouffer’s is working hard to simplify their recipes, but the great taste hasn’t changed.  Stouffer’s entrees are every bit as delicious as you remember…they might be even better.

This new commitment is Stouffer’s contribution to Nestlé’s educational campaign called Balance Your Plate.  While everyone wants to eat better, research shows that Americans are only meeting MyPlate recommendations for vegetables, fruit, proteins, dairy and grains seven days out of 365.  Seven.  How scary is that?  But really, eating better isn’t hard, even around the holidays when sweets are center stage.  It’s actually quite easy to pair nutritious frozen meals like Stouffer’s Family Size Lasagna with Meat & Sauce with veggies to balance balance your plate.

So when my husband suggested Stouffer’s Family Size Lasagna with Meat & Sauce I immediately thought about the garlic green bean recipe that I made over the summer.  My husband raved about them.  He actually couldn’t believe that I made them myself.  They were that good.  Only problem was…the recipe I used was long gone.  Accidentally set aside and I think it might have accidentally been thrown away.  I asked him to pick up green beans anyway and decided to wing it, and you know what?  They turned out even better!

Tender and flavorful, these green beans compliment Stouffer’s Lasagna with Meat & Sauce perfectly and add a little extra nutrition, too.  These Sauteed Garlic Green Beans are so easy to make and a hit at my dinner party.  I’ll be serving them along side my Stouffer’s Lasagna with Meat & Sauce at our holiday party in 2 weeks and many family dinners for years to come.

You will need:
1 lb green beans, with ends cut off
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp red pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced (I used the jarred kind)
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp water
Parmesan cheese, to taste

Step 1 – Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Once hot, add red pepper flakes and stir so flakes are coated and well distributed throughout oil.

Step 2 – Add green beans and cook for 5-7 minutes, until blistered and browning.  Continue to turning and coat green beans in the oil frequently as they brown.

Step 3 – Add garlic and salt to green beans in the skillet and stir until garlic is fragrant (approximately 30-60 seconds).

Step 4 – Add water and cover immediately.  Allow beans to cook covered for 1-2 minutes, or until beans are bright green and tender.

Step 5 – Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve hot along side Stouffer’s Large Family Size Lasagna with Meat & Sauce or any of your favorite Stouffer’s Family Size meals!

To learn more about Stouffer’s commitment to the Balance Your Plate campaign, be sure to check out Stouffer’s on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest! How do you balance your plate when serving Stouffer’s Lasagna with Meat & Sauce?