Are you looking to make A delicious Pot of Beans? you have to try these flavorful Southern Green Beans and Potatoes.
What could be better than Beans made with potatoes, bacon, garlic, onion, chicken broth, pepper, and a hint of sugar?
These Green Beans are the perfect side dish. They go with almost everything.
Growing UP Without Many Good Memories
These green beans bring back special memories to me. As a child of a divorced family, my childhood memories are far and few between. My mom left my family when I was thirteen years old. Up until that time, our home was chaos mainly caused by addiction. But, I have a special memory of these Southern Green Beans.
Being a Southern Country Girl, I was raised on fresh Southern Green Beans. My father would purchase bushels of green beans from farmers every summer. We would spend hours together as a family stringing and snapping beans. To be honest, at the time I thought it was more of a chore than fun. Now, that my dad and Aunt Dot is no longer here, it is a precious memory. It was a special time spent with my father and siblings. Good memories were made that will last a lifetime.
My Aunt Dot made sure we had a pot of fresh green beans at every holiday gathering. She is the one who taught me how to make them.
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What is the difference between Bush Beans and Pole Beans?
Green beans, string beans, snap beans are all the same. The main difference is how they grow. There are two categories of green beans, bush or pole beans. This means the green beans either grow from a bush, low to the grown, or a pole. These types of green beans are climbers. If the green beans can grow without any extra support to hold them up they are called bush beans.
Another difference between the beans are Pole beans keep producing as you pick them. Most beans that are died are pole beans such as Navy beans, pinto beans, and kidney beans. Bush beans produce most of its beans at the same time and then they are finished producing for the season.
Snap beans should be picked when they reach four to five inches long. You should pick them before you start seeing the seeds or beans bulging out. They should also be able to snap which will indicate freshness.
Can I use something besides Bacon in these Green Beans?
Bacon is the most common seasoning for Green Beans but if you have a ham bone leftover it is perfect for these beans. Boil the bone down using the chicken broth, water or a combination of the two until the meat falls off or pulls off easy. If you are using a honey ham bone, you do not need to add the sugar to the beans. They will be perfectly sweet enough.
Southern Green Beans with Bacon
First Step: Fry the Bacon
Normally, I prepare my bacon in the oven. It is the easiest way to cook bacon. If you have not tried it, read my full post about cooking Oven Bacon Here. For these green beans, I start by cutting my bacon into small pieces. Next, I fry the bacon pieces in a large dutch oven.
While the bacon is frying, snap your green beans into two-inch pieces or the size you prefer. Next, rinse your beans well. Submerge them in a pot or large bowl full of water. Drain the water and repeat.
Southern Green Beans with Potatoes
When you add potatoes to these green beans, it makes them a meal. The potatoes are not only filling but super flavorful. They are like sponges that soak up all the broth and seasonings you put in these green beans. You can leave them out of this recipe but you will be missing a fabulous treat.
Third Step: Potatoes
Wash the small red potatoes and remove any bad spots. Cut the potatoes into bite-size pieces. Next, add the potatoes, salt, pepper, and sugar in with the bacon.
Fourth Step: Green Beans
Add the green beans, chopped cooked bacon, and chicken broth to the stockpot. Plus, enough water to cover the beans halfway up the pot.
Sixth Step: Cook the Beans
- Cook until beans are tender about 1 hour on low simmer heat.
- TIME WILL DEPEND ON HOW HIGH YOUR HEAT IS ON YOUR STOVE.
- DO NOT OVERCOOK GREEN BEANS! THEY WILL GET MUSHY
Green Beans Were Finger Foods In My House
When my kids were at the age of eating finger foods, I would prepare a large pot of these Green Beans. They loved them especially my twin boys. I would cook them al dente and put them in a snack container for them to eat. Not only did they eat them as a snack during the day but I carried green beans everywhere we went. They loved them!
Southern Green Beans and Potatoes
Cook these Southern Green Beans faster in your Pressure Cooker.
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BEST SOUTHERN GREEN BEANS
Ingredients
- 3 pounds fresh green beans (fresh is better, but you can use frozen green beans)
- 10 New potatoes washed and cut into bite sizes (or small golden potatoes)
- 8 slices bacon
- 1 red onion diced small
- One garlic minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoons seasoning salt
- One teaspoons black pepper
- two teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon Cajun Seasoning
- enough water to cover the beans halfway up the pot.
Instructions
- Cut the bacon in small pieces and fry it in a large dutch oven on medium heat
- Remove the bacon.
- Saute the garlic and chopped onions until the onions are tender
- Add the potatoes, salt, pepper, and sugar
- Add the green beans, bacon, and chicken broth
- Plus, enough water to cover the beans halfway up the pot.
- Cook until beans are tender about 1 hour on low simmer heat
- TIME WILL DEPEND ON HOW HIGH YOUR HEAT IS ON YOUR STOVE.
- DO NOT OVERCOOK GREEN BEANS! THEY WILL GET MUSHY
Notes
Nutrition
More Delicious Sides
- CHEESY HASH BROWN CASSEROLE includes Hash browns, butter, onion, Cream of Chicken Soup, sour cream, Cajun Seasoning, garlic, black pepper, and lots of sharp shredded cheddar cheese.
- BROCCOLI YELLOW RICE CASSEROLE If your family does not like broccoli, they will probably eat this broccoli recipe. You cannot taste the broccoli. The saffron in the yellow rice makes this casserole very flavorful.
- BEST DEVILED EGGS – “BACON AND EGGS” – Have You Tried Topping Your Deviled Eggs With Bacon? It Is A Perfect Combination. You Have To Make These Delicious Deviled Eggs.
Salads
- LAYERED LETTUCE SALAD Use spring mix, peas, red onion, dried cranberries, boiled eggs, mayonnaise, sugar, bacon, cheddar cheese, and almonds or your favorite nuts. Top this salad with cranberries for the holidays.
- BEST BACON BROCCOLI SALAD includes two bunches of fresh broccoli, raisins or dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, carrots, purple onion, mayo, sugar or honey, and bacon.
- STRAWBERRY PRETZEL SALAD This Strawberry Pretzel salad, dessert, is fantastic! It is layered with pretzels, cream cheese mixture, plus strawberries and strawberry jello. It is the perfect sweet and salty combination.
Sweet Potatoes
- SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE The three different toppings on this sweet potato casserole allow everyone to get their favorite.
- BAKED STUFFED SWEET POTATOES With Brown Sugar, Pecans, Marshmellow, Cinnamon, And Butter. These Baked Stuffed Sweet Potatoes are the perfect excuse to eat dessert as a side dish. In the South, we actually call this recipe a side dish. It is a far stretch for even me but it is a fabulous, indulgent treat perfect for your holiday table.
Beans and Peas
- BEST SOUTHERN WHITE BEANS There is nothing better than an old fashion pot of Southern white beans and a piece of buttery cornbread. I will teach you how easy it is to make these Southern White Beans with ham in your Slow Cooker or Dutch oven.
- SOUTHERN BLACK-EYED PEAS If you season them well, black-eye peas are delicious. To season my Southern black-eyed peas, I include onions, garlic, Cajun seasoning to add lots of flavor to my peas, Seasoned Salt, Pepper, Sugar, Salty Meat
- SOUTHERN GREEN BEANS What could be better than Beans made with potatoes, bacon, garlic, onion, chicken broth, pepper, and a hint of sugar? These Green Beans are the perfect side dish. They go with almost everything.
- CHEESY GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE is a holiday tradition. I updated the traditional green beans with cheese, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce to make the best casserole!
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Delicious green beans! I have made this twice, and we love it. I’m from the south (Georgia), hubby is from California. Thank you for sharing.
Pam,
Thank you so much for making my Southern Green Beans. I am excited that you and your husband enjoyed them. Thank you also for taking the time to leave me a comment. If I can ever help you with one of my recipes, please do not hesitate to leave me a comment.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Blessings,
Diane Roark
Let’s Connect!
Click here to follow Recipes For Our Daily Bread on Facebook. It’s is a great place to ask questions and see what is new on my blog.
Be sure to follow me on Instagram and tag #recipesforourdailybread so I can see all the amazing you make from my blog.
Hi Diane. Say your brother lives in Elizabethtown, Kentucky? I live about 35 miles from Elizabethtown in Greensburg, Kentucky. So as a Southern says. Howdy Neighbor!
Your Green Beans beans sounds delish. If I cook fresh green beans I cook them either in a CrockPot or on top of the stove like you do. If I use green beans from store…. For my potatoes I put them in microwave and cook until almost tender and add them to my store bought green beans which I drain the water off and add some chicken broth along with some bacon grease and cook them down until they almost burn!
I love all your southern recipes. Keep up the good work. I also am trying to get a website done for my southern recipes. Hopefully in the near future!
Judy,
Thank you so much for leaving me a comment on my blog, Recipes For Our Daily Bread. YES, my brother lives pretty close to you. My mother in law and sister in law lives in KY but on the other end near Puduka. It is a small world.
Nothing is better than fresh green beans but I too used can green beans occasionally and prepare them like you are talking about. It is one of my popular recipes on my blog. https://recipesforourdailybread.com/best-canned-green-beans/
I hope you are having a fabulous summer. Stay safe and cool!
Blessings,
Diane Roark
https://recipesforourdailybread.com
Can you modify this for the Instant Pot. Cooking times etc.
Vicky,
Thank you for stopping by Recipes For Our Daily Bread and checking out my Southern Green Bean post. YES, you can make these green beans in the pressure cooker. I actually have a blog post about it here. https://recipesforourdailybread.com/pressure-cooker-green-beans/
Have a fabulous 4th July weekend.
Blessings,
Diane Roark
How many servings in this recipe?
Helen,
Thank you for stopping by Recipes For Our Daily Bread to see my Southern Green Beans. After fresh green beans are cooked you normally get two cups per pound. If a person eats 4 ounces, it should feed 4 people. Therefore, my recipe calls for three pounds of fresh green beans which should feed 12 people.
I hope this helps.
Thank you again for visiting my blog.
Get recipes sent to your email here. https://recipesforourdailybread.com/southern-side-dishes/
Many Blessings,
Diane Roark
If using the slow cooker do you still use chicken broth AND water?
Dani,
Thank you for stopping by to try my Southern Green Beans. YES, you still need chicken broth and water in your Slow Cooker Green Beans. Put enough liquid to cover the green beans half way up. The beans will cook down into the liquid.
Many Blessings,
Diane Roark
Please follow my blog and receive a weekly newsletter here: //recipesforourdailybread.com/southern-side-dishes/
Hi Diane!
I cannot wait to try this green bean recipe!! Do you use white half runner beans?
Jessica,
Thank you for stopping by Recipes For Our Daily Bread and leaving me a comment about my Southern Green Beans. Yes, you can use any type of Pole, Snap Beans, or Bush green beans which are most beans. The beans have to be picked before the shell get tough.
I hope you get a chance to try these flavorful green beans.
Have a fabulous Easter week!
Blessings,
Diane
God Bless You and your sweet class,
Diane Roark
Please follow my blog and receive a weekly newsletter here: https://recipesforourdailybread.com/southern-side-dishes/
I Love Southern Cooking !!!
My First Husband pass went home to be with our Lord he was from Greenville, Temnn,
My second Husband he is from Bryson City, North Carolina and for me I am a Northern Gail from Maryland !!!
Bea,
Thank you for stopping by to check out my blog, Recipes for our Daily Bread. I am thrilled you found it. If you ever need any help with my recipes, please do not hesitate to ask. If you try any of them, let me know how they came out. My husband is also from Tennessee and my brother lives not too far from Greenville in Elizabethtown. Again, I am glad you found my site.
God Bless You and your sweet class,
Diane Roark
Please follow my blog here:
https://recipesforourdailybread.com/southern-side-dishes/
Does the water that you cover beans with evaporate?
Lenore,
Thank you for stopping by Recipes For Our Daily Bread and reading my Southern Green Bean recipe. Yes, a lot of the water will evaporate. This is especially true if you leave the lid off. Make sure the water in the pot is at least about half way up at all times.
Thank you again for checking out my blog. I hope you enjoy the Southern Green Beans. They have been a staple in my house my entire life especially on Sundays and holidays.
Many blessings,
Diane Roark
Do you cook the potatoes before putting them in ?
Tammy,
Thank you for stopping by my recipe blog, Recipes For Our Daily Bread.com, and leaving me a comment about my Southern Green Beans. These green beans are very flavorful and delicious. I hope you will give them a try. No, you do not need to precook the potatoes. They will cook with the green beans and soak up all the flavors.
Many blessings,
Diane Roark
Can you do this in a crockpot on low for5 hrs?
Rebecca,
You can absolutely cook the Southern Green Beans in a slow cooker. I have done it many times. How long you cook them will depend on how you like them.
I hope you enjoy these Southern Green Beans. They are seasoned well and delicious.
Many blessings,
Diane Roark
https://recipesforourdailybread.com/press-release/
Couple of questions do I put bacon back in after frying or wait till end and also do you cover with lid?
Tina,
Thank you for stopping by recipesforourdailybread.com I am sorry my Southern Green Bean recipe was a little confusion. I corrected it on my blog and copies it below. You can cover the green beans and they will cook faster. Be sure to check them and stir them often. Also, It is easier to leave the bacon in the dutch oven. Before the bacon is hard, add the garlic and onions. If you cook the bacon hard and remove it, simply add it back when you add the potatoes.
Fry the bacon in a large dutch oven on medium heat
Before the bacon is cooked hard saute the garlic and chopped onions until the onions are tender
Add the potatoes, salt, pepper, and sugar
Add the green beans and chicken broth
Cover with a lid and cook until beans are tender about 1 hours on low simmer heat.
Thanks for stopping by recipesforourdailybread.com If you every have any questions, please ask me.
Blessings,
Diane Roark
My grandmother actually was a big believer in using bacon grease for a peas recipe she used to make for us. So, love that you use bacon in your green bean recipe as this reminds me of that and now am definitely going to try the next time I am going to make green beans for us here. So, thanks so much Diane for sharing here 🙂