This Green Beans with Bacon dish combines two different styles with tender stewed green beans and crisp bacon. Delicious for all occasions.
There are two side dishes that I absolutely enjoy from my visits to the steak house here in Colorado. One is this Whole Baked Sweet Potatoes and the other is the Southern Style Green Beans. While I have roasted sweet potatoes countless times, I have never attempted to replicate the second dish at home until now. So, today I am going to share my version of this tasty side dish with you that combines two popular versions you can find out there.
Crunchy or Tender?
Like I mentioned, there are two versions of this popular dish out there. The first one is almost like a stir fry where the green beans are blanched and lightly toss in the pan with minced garlic. It is then topped with crispy bacon. The second version found at the steak house comes with tender green beans stewed in chicken broth together with minced garlic and bacon.
Since I often stir fries, I am more interested in trying the Southern version. That said, I sometimes wish they would serve it topped with crispy bacon. A such, I had a little fun combining the two to come up with my own version of this tasty side dish. I stewed the green beans with water (or you can use chicken broth) and garlic to just tender, about 30 minutes instead of the usual 1½ hours. Then, I topped it with crispy bacon. It was good and I will probably always make it this way! 🙂
Tools Used in Making This Green Beans with Bacon
Similar Tools Used in Making This Green Beans with Bacon Side Dish
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Le Creuset Enameled Cast-Iron 2-3/4-Quart Soup Pot, Flame
Pyrex Prepware 1-Cup Measuring Cup
Cuisipro Stainless Steel Measuring Cup and Spoon Set
Green Beans with Bacon
Ingredients
- 2 lbs green beans (washed and drained) (900g)
- 4 slices bacon (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 cup water ** (240ml)
- ½ tsp ground pepper
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Line up green beans on a chopping board a few at a time. Cut off the tops and tails. If the green beans are too long, cut them in half.
- In a medium pot, fry bacon until brown, about 5 minutes. Remove bacon crisp and set aside.
- Remove all but 2 tablespoons of bacon lard from the pot. Add garlic and saute for 20 seconds.
- Add green beans and stir to coat with lard. Pour in water, cover, and bring liquid to a boil.
- Remove lid, add ground pepper and salt. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Transfer green beans with perforated spatula to a serving bowl. Sprinkle bacon crisp on the top and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
This Green Beans with Bacon was one of the side dishes I made for our recent Thanksgiving dinner. This is the first time and it won’t be the last time. We enjoyed it so much I will be making it again for our Christmas Eve Dinner this evening. I hope you will give it a try.
mjskitchen says
A real classic and totally delicious! Love the amount of bacon. 🙂 Hope you’re having a wonderful holiday season Linda!
Linda says
Thank you, MJ! It has been a trying year but we are doing well. Will be glad to say goodbye to 2020 though. Wishing you joy and health in 2021.