I know the trendy sophisticated way is to barely cook green beans so that they have some crunch to them while maintaining their brilliant green emerald-like color. That’s not my way for an old-fashioned down-home side dish of garden fresh green beans in my kitchen...
I grew up in Louisville ~ I learned to cook fresh green beans the Southern way ~ slow-cooked to death, usually with bacon drippings, a ham hock or bacon like this recipe. We all know the saying, “bacon makes everything better!” Pour a little chicken broth in with the seasonings, for a perfect side dish.
It’s not that I would pass on your crisp green haricot verts, they just aren’t the green beans I know that are cooked for half the day and filled with that great salty smokey bacon flavor.
A bowl of fresh green beans and a wedge or two of butter-slathered corn bread ~ now that’s all that’s needed ~ that’s my kind of meal!
FRESH GREEN BEANS WITH BACON
Printable recipe
Ingredients:
2 pounds fresh green beans, ends snapped and halved or not
4-5 slices bacon, large dice
2 cups water
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon seasoned pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Method:
Cook bacon until crisp in a small skillet. Remove and set aside.
To a large pot, add green beans and remaining ingredients plus all of the bacon, except for 1 tablespoon for garnish.
Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer and cook for an hour or two until tender, stirring occasionally.
Transfer to serving bowl.
ENJOY!
Oh wow...your green beans and cornbread. Add in a fresh tomato with it and that's about perfect!
ReplyDeleteEven better when the green beans and tomatoes came out of your dad's garden!
Hi Son! You got it!!! Those were the biggest and best tomatoes ever, and his green beans weren't bad either. Have a good day! Love
DeleteGosh..how I love bacon! Green bean is one of my favourite veggies too. A perfect combo, Pam.
ReplyDeleteHi Angie! Yes, green beans are always better with a little bacon. ☺ Thanks!
DeletePam, Living here in East Tennessee, we can still find green beans prepared like this...slow cooked and with bacon or ham. Its a nice change from the usual crispy preparation! Bacon...1 of the 2 key ingredients to a happy life! Butter is the other one! Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
ReplyDeleteHi Dave! You got it with the bacon and butter too, can't imagine life without them. ☺ Glad you like the beans, thanks and have a good week!
DeletePam, now your talking about the proper way to cook green beans. When we lived in Kentucky, one of my standard side picks at Cracker Barrel was there green beans and corn bread. I still slow cooked green beans over here using Swedish smoked pork belly. But, I've never added pepper flakes. I'll be trying this.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ron! Yes, I've had those CB green beans and corn bread. Smoked pork belly would be great, pepper it up! Take care
DeleteI love that you put bacon in these beans! YUM!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Claudia! Bacon rules!
DeleteCooked to death is just how I like them - we usually cook them several hours.
ReplyDeleteI cook them to death esp when fresh from the farmers' markets. Good eating, for sure. Thanks, Larry!
DeleteYour recipe takes me back to childhood, before crisp bright green beans were a thing — my mother always put a strip or 2 of bacon in the cooking water, though she wasn’t big on spice!
ReplyDeletebest... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
I can eat them crisp but like this way much better. Just so there's a little bacon or bacon grease. Have a good rest of the week, Mae!
DeleteNot for me 😊 I always serve my haricot beans with lardons and sweet and sour sauce but the maximum time they cook is 10 minutes!! Take care Diane
ReplyDeleteHi Diane! Yes, that's the way our younger son likes green beans, barely cooked. He tells me I cook them until soft and mushy, whatever floats your boat works! Take care
DeleteLove the post title...made me laugh.
ReplyDeleteI much prefer them cooked to done especially with bacon.
The "not done" way is bland to me.
YUM!
M : )
Thanks, Melinda! Glad I gave you a chuckle. I get you with "bland." Have a good day!
DeleteI LOVE this dish! I put mine in the oven and cook them low and slow for at least 8 hours. So good! Great recipe -- thanks.
ReplyDeleteThanks, John! I'll have to try cooking them in the oven, that's new to me. Thanks again!
DeleteDid you see the obituaries for Dorcas Reilly, employee of the Campbell's company, who invented and published the recipe for green bean casserole ? A lot of people have claimed it, but she was definitely the first.
ReplyDeleteLink: https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/24/us/dorcas-reilly-green-bean-casserole-trnd/index.html
best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Yes, I heard about Dorcas Reilly. I will be making her dish, much to the chagrin of some others at our Thanksgiving table; and in honor of her, I just might add an extra can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup. She knew her way around the kitchen! Thanks for your great comment, Mae!
DeleteThat's true about bacon!Fantastic recipe☺
ReplyDeleteThanks, natalia! Take care
DeleteI love green beans cooked almost any way and fresh from the farmers' market is always the best, unless you can grow them yourself :) Sounds great, Pam!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Susan! We used to grow our own before we had too much shade from trees, and it's farmers' market now, they're great! Have a good day!
DeleteI think these green beans look perfect!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Amy! We really like them! Take care
Deletethis is how my grandma and my mother-in-law make their green beans and they are a treat indeed!
ReplyDelete