SOUTHERN GREEN BEANS

4 quick and easy steps to making Southern Green Beans you will love serving

Proven ingredients that work amazing together in these Southern Green Beans include potatoes, bacon, garlic, onion, chicken broth, pepper, and a hint of sugar? 

Your family will be begging for you to make another pot of these beans before leaving the dinner table. No worries, 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.

second 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.

third 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.

fourth 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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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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