Well it’s been a while since I posted a recipe, so I figured I would share one of my family’s favorite things I make; Smothered Green Beans.
Every time there is a family gathering, I am asked to make “those bacon green beans you make.” I don’t blame them either. Through the cooking process, the bacon morphs into these amazing little bits of ham-like mouthwatering amazingness and give the green beans a salty smokey flavor that no one can resist.
This recipe is so easy and yet so satisfying for any day of the week, not just special events. I made mine here in a cast iron dutch oven, but they can be made in the slow cooker or the instant pot as well, whatever you have around your house. I find the cast iron just gives that finish I have tried to achieve with other cooking vessels but can never quite duplicate.
If you have cast iron but are taking this to a potluck or family gathering, I suggest cooking them in the cast iron and then transferring the finished beans to the slow cooker to keep them warm. If you are using the instant pot, just follow these directions as written and they will turn out really well.
Ok, enough intro, lets get into the recipe.
Here’s what You’ll need:
- 4-6 slices of bacon, thick cut is best
- 1/2 stick butter
- 4-6 bags of frozen green beans (depending on the size of your cooking vessel)
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Lets get started!
First, place your pan over a medium-low heat. While it heats up, cut the bacon into bite size pieces. Once the pan is warm, add the bacon and cook.
Make sure to let the bacon cook until it is almost over cooked, trust me here. It will be re-hydrated with the liquid from the beans. The color should be a nice dark brown, but not burnt or black. It should look something like this:
After the bacon is browned, drain the grease if there is an excess of it. A little bit in the bottom is fine though.
Lower the heat to low-low and add the frozen green beans. Place the butter on top of the green beans and add salt and pepper to taste.
Remember: the bacon is salty, so go easy on the salt at first and check it later. You can always add more, but you can’t take it out!
Mix all of the ingredients well. It will look something like this:
After you have mixed all the ingredients, cover the pan and cook on medium-low until the green beans have reached the desired texture for you and your family. We like ours a little on the soft side, so a batch this size will look for about 45 minutes or so.
Make sure to stir your beans occasionally, just to mix them up and ensure even cooking. They will cook down, so if the pot is full like this one was, it will produce about half the amount when fully cooked, so keep that in mind when deciding how much to make.
This large dutch oven made enough for 6 adults and 2 kids, plus a small amount of leftovers.
Here is the finished product! Make sure to taste the beans to ensure they have enough salt and pepper before serving.
That’s it! One of the easiest and most satisfying side dishes you can possibly make. I’m telling you, you won’t regret trying this one.
I hope you enjoy. If you try this recipe out, please make sure to share a photo of it with the me right here on the TreadlingHome blog, or on our social media @TreadlingHome on Facebook and Instagram 🙂
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