Fresh green beans cooked in a skillet with onions, potatoes and bacon. So delicious, yet so simple to make. Perfect as a Thanksgiving side dish. 
I grew up eating lots of fresh green beans and other fresh vegetables because my grandmother grew everything in her garden. I loved most of the vegetable the she grew except for tomatoes and a couple other vegetable. These days, I love tomatoes! If you love tomatoes then you have to try my baked tomato Parmesan, or my 7 ingredient Italian dressing chicken with roasted grape tomatoes.
One of my favorite vegetables was and still is, string beans/green beans. Back then it was my duty to trim the string beans. I didn’t mind it at all because I enjoyed my every minute of my grandmothers company. Today, string beans are now called green beans because the strings was bred out of them over 30 years ago.
My grandmother and my mother made their traditional southern style green beans. They were pretty darn good. Back then, my grandmother only used water, butter, sauteed onions and salt and pepper to make her green beans and potatoes. She cooked her green beans and potatoes longer than I normally would.
My recipe is simple and not much different than my grandmothers. I love a bit of heat, so I always add a pinch or two of Cajun seasoning, a bit of balsamic vinegar, a teaspoon or two of sugar (to balance out the flavors) red onions and beef broth (instead of water) , salt and pepper (lots of pepper is great on string beans) and bacon crumbled on top.
I prefer my green beans a bit firm, so I cook them for about 10-15 minutes. Plus, less cooking helps to retain nutrients. Depending on your preference, you may want to cook your green beans and potatoes for a shorter period of time or longer. Once my potatoes and green beans are done, I add my seasonings.
Ingredients:
1 lb green beans ends trimmed
1 lb red potatoes or creamer potatoes quartered or halved or diced
6 slices of cooked bacon crumbled (pork or beef bacon. I used beef)
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup diced red diced
1 cup beef or chicken broth (I used Better Than Bouillon Beef Base)
2 tbsp of reserved bacon fat ( do not get rid of all the fat from the bacon you cooked)
pinch or two of cajun seasoning (optional)
1-2 tsp of balsamic vinegar (optional)
1-2 tsp white sugar (optional but if you are adding the balsamic vinegar sugar will help balance out the flavors)
salt for taste
pepper for taste
Directions:
Cook the onions in the 2 tablespoons of reserved bacon fat and butter until softened about 2 minutes. Add the potatoes, balsamic vinegar and beef broth. Let it come to a boil then cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until desired tenderness. Add the string beans, cover and simmer for 15-20 longer or until desired doneness, stirring ocassionally. Add all of the seasonings and mix. Add more seasonings for taste if needed. Add crumbled bacon on top. Serve with cornbread.
Note: You can use canned green beans if that is all you have. Although they are still good, canned green beans will not taste the same as fresh green beans. Once the potatoes are done, add the canned green beans and cook until the green beans are heated through.
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- 1 lb green beans ends trimmed
- 1 lb red potatoes or creamer potatoes quartered or halved or diced
- 6 slices of cooked bacon crumbled pork or beef bacon. I used beef
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup diced red diced
- 1 cup beef or chicken broth I used Better Than Bouillon Beef Base
- 2 tbsp of reserved bacon fat do not get rid of all the fat from the bacon you cooked
- pinch or two of cajun seasoning optional
- 1-2 tsp of balsamic vinegar optional
- 1-2 tsp white sugar optional but if you are adding the balsamic vinegar sugar will help balance out the flavors
- salt for taste
- pepper for taste
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Cook the onions in the 2 tablespoons of reserved bacon fat and butter until softened about 2 minutes. Add the potatoes, balsamic vinegar and beef broth. Let it come to a boil then cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until desired tenderness. Add the string beans, cover and simmer for 15-20 longer or until desired doneness, stirring ocassionally. Add all of the seasoning and mix. Add more seasonings for taste if needed. Add crumbled bacon on top. Serve with cornbread.
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*See notes below
Note: You can use canned green beans if that is all you have. Although they are still good, canned green beans will not taste the same as fresh green beans. Once the potatoes are done, add the canned green beans and cook until the green beans are heated through. I prefer my green beans a bit firm, so I cook them for about 10-15 minutes. Plus, less cooking helps to retain the green beans nutrients. Depending on your preference, you may want to cook your green Omit the sugar if you like, but it does help balance out the flavors.
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Great recipe , thanks my inspiration!
I’ve been asked to bring green beans for Thanksgiving. And I have a recipe I was going to use. But I seriously think I’m going to scrap it and make this!!
I hope you like it Lisa! Let me know how it goes! Thank you so much! Happy Thanksgiving!
This looks really tasty. Green beans are my favorite vegetables and I am going through a potato phase right now, I think I have to add them the next time I have them.
I never thought to add in potatoes with my green beans. This makes for a hearty stand alone salad. Love the idea of it and your photos are gorge!
Thank you so much Rezel! Try it the combo is delicious!
I love green beans… esp. fresh ones! These look really good with the potatoes and fresh herbs too. Nice shots!
I love green beans and I love potatoes, but I’ve never tried them together in one dish! And let’s be honest…nobody can resist bacon 🙂 I’m going to have to give this recipe a try soon
You have to try them together! It’s soooo good! Let me know how it goes! Thank you so much!
This looks amazing! I think it’s going to find it’s way onto my table this Thanksgiving 🙂 I am so excited to try out a few new recipes this year!! 🙂
Thanks so much Stephanie! I hope you like it but I’m sure you will!
Oh, your timing is amazing! I just par-boiled a few pounds of haricots verts to portion out and freeze for easy sides during the week. I will keep a bunch out, though, and make this recipe: it sounds so yummy!
Hi Michelle! Let me know how it goes! I love green beans. I think I’m going to make green bean soup soon! Thanks!
Such a beautiful Thanksgiving side dish! I hated green beans growing up, but would love them in this- especially with the addition of bacon! Yum!
Thanks so much Tara! I loved them growing up but I hated beets! I love them both now.
Once you add potatoes and bacon to ANY dish, it just has to be good. This is almost a meal on it’s own. My kids love green beans, so I think this would be a winner here.
Bacon makes everything delicious especially when added to two of my favorite veggies. This is definitely is a side dish that will be served at my Thnaksgiving dinner!
Thank you Mary! Let me know how it goes!
I love everything about this recipe! Fresh green beans are one of my favorite veggies! And who doesn’t love bacon?! 🙂
Gotta have fresh green beans!Thank you for stopping by Elizabeth!