Green Beans & Squash

This green bean and butternut squash side dish gets a glossy, sweet-savory glaze from currant jelly melted into garlic butter with fresh basil and parsley. A squeeze of lemon juice at the end brightens everything and keeps the sweetness from taking over.

The vegetables boil separately in stages. Green beans go in first and get a head start, then the squash sticks join for the last six to eight minutes. Both should be tender but still have a bit of structure. Mushy vegetables won’t hold up under the glaze.

This is a great make-ahead side. Blanch and chill the vegetables up to a day before, then reheat in the glaze right before serving.

Pro Tips

• Rinse with cold water after boiling. This stops the cooking instantly and locks in the color. Bright green beans and orange squash look so much better than dull, overcooked vegetables.
• Melt the jelly completely before adding the vegetables back. Any solid lumps of jelly won’t distribute evenly and you’ll get sticky spots.
• Cut the squash into even sticks. Uniform pieces cook at the same rate. Thick chunks will still be firm when the thin ones are falling apart.
• Toast the walnuts beforehand and add them at the very end. They go from toasted to burnt fast, and they stay crunchier when they don’t simmer in the glaze.

Variations

• Cranberry glaze: Swap currant jelly for whole cranberry sauce during the holidays for a festive twist.
• Maple pecan: Replace the currant jelly with maple syrup and use toasted pecans instead of walnuts.