The season of thanks is officially among us. Students are preparing to either head home for Thanksgiving or stay in Eugene where they can celebrate with their friends. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays for multiple reasons: being surrounded by friends and family, the beautiful fall weather and the delicious meals at the dinner table –– not to mention Thanksgiving leftovers.
If you’re like me and are heading home for Thanksgiving, but are still planning a Friendsgiving or two, it can be hard to decide what to bring to the table. Taking responsibility for the Thanksgiving turkey can be very intimidating and requires cookware most college students don’t own. Mashed potatoes can be time consuming and difficult to perfect.
One of my favorite Thanksgiving sides is my Aunt Lauri’s garlic green beans. These green beans take up ⅓ of my plate every year, and I never fail to go back for seconds. She often packs me a to-go container of green beans because she knows how much I love them.
These green beans are the perfect Thanksgiving and Friendsgiving side because they don’t require a lot of ingredients but are still packed with flavor. For college students who are spending on a budget and don’t have access to a full kitchen, this is the perfect Friendsgiving recipe for you!

Ingredients

• 1-2 Bags of green beans (depending on how many servings you want)

• ½ Cup of soy sauce

• 1 Tsp of sugar

• ½ Tsp of sesame oil

• 2 Tsp of minced garlic

Instructions

1. Empty your green beans into a strainer and wash thoroughly. With kitchen scissors, remove the ends and cut green beans in half.

2. Boil a pot of salted water. Put green beans in for 4-5 minutes and then drain them so they don’t overcook.

3. In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and garlic together.

4. Heat up a large pan and add a drizzle of olive oil with some minced garlic. When the garlic is aromatic, add in your green beans and cook for a few minutes.

5. Add your soy mixture to the green beans and saute for a couple minutes.

6. Season with salt and pepper to your liking and enjoy!