Green Beans in Creamy Parmesan Sauce - with bacon!
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5.0
48 reviews
Excellent
Green Beans in Creamy Parmesan Sauce - with bacon!
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Recipe video above. The easier and dare I say a tastier alternative to Green Bean Casserole! Using the bacon fat and garlic to saute the green beans before semi steaming/braising the beans in chicken broth guarantees flavour even before we get to the creamy paremsan sauce!Serve this as an extra special side dish, or turn it into a meal by using it as a pasta sauce, or over rice/quinoa/cauliflower rice/mash.
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Ingredients
- 150g/ 5oz bacon , chopped (use streaky, not lean)
- 2 garlic cloves , finely minced
- 500g/1lb green beans , trimmed, cut into ~5cm / 2" pieces
- 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock / broth , low sodium
- 1 cup cream , heavy/thickened (Note 1)
- 1/2 cup parmesan , finely grated (best to grate your own)
- black pepper , freshly ground
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Instructions
- Place bacon in cold skillet, then turn the stove on high. (Note 2)
- Cook bacon for 2 to 3 minutes until golden, then remove with a slotted spoon.
- Discard excess bacon fat, leaving behind 1 1/2 tablespoons (or so). If you're short, add a dab of butter (or olive oil).
- Add garlic and stir for 10 - 15 seconds until light golden.
- Add green beans and stir to coat in garlicky bacon fat.
- Add chicken stock, stir, bring to simmer then cover with lid. (Note 3) Cook 3 minutes, stirring every now and then so it cooks evenly, until beans are tender-crisp, still bright green and almost cooked to your liking (it will cook more). There should be some liquid left (if not, that's ok too)
- Add cream, parmesan and pepper. Stir, bring to simmer then lower heat to medium low and let it gently simmer for 2 minutes until the cream reduces and becomes thicker. If you want it to stick to the beans thickly when warm, then reduce the sauce for another 1 minute until the sauce is quite thick. (Note 4)
- Taste and add salt if needed (I don't find it needs more).
- Transfer to serving bowl, sprinkle with cooked bacon and extra parmesan if you like.
Notes
- Lower fat alternatives - evaporated milk or light cream. If sauce is too thin for your taste at the end, then dissolve 1 teaspoon cornflour/cornstarch in 2 tsp water and stir that in.
- Bacon into cold pan - bacon fat renders out better (ie melts) if you start with a cold pan because the fat starts to melt as the skillet heats up. This means you don't need any extra fat to cook the bacon. In contrast, if you use a preheated skillet, you will need a bit of fat so the bacon doesn't stick when you first add it (bacon fat does get released, it just works better starting with cold pan).
- Pan lid - pictured lid in video isn't made for the skillet used. Just use any lid around the size of the skillet, doesn't matter if some steam escapes. More suggestions: baking tray, foil.
- Sauce thickness - it gets thicker once it cools a bit. I like the sauce to be syrupy so it doesn't stick to the beans thickly which I find a bit too rich for my taste. But if you want the sauce to coat the beans thoroughly, just simmer the cream sauce for another 1 - 2 minutes. You can make it so thick that the beans are literally completely covered in the sauce.
- Nutrition per serving, assuming 5 servings and no bacon fat is discarded. If you use turkey bacon and low fat cream, it reduces to 232 calories per serving.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
358cal
(18%)
Carbohydrates
10g
(3%)
Protein
11g
(22%)
Fat
32g
(49%)
Saturated Fat
16g
(80%)
Cholesterol
91mg
(30%)
Sodium
379mg
(16%)
Potassium
332mg
(9%)
Fiber
3g
(12%)
Sugar
3g
(6%)
Vitamin A
1478IU
(30%)
Vitamin C
13mg
(14%)
Calcium
189mg
(19%)
Iron
1mg
(6%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4- 5 as a side
Amount Per Serving
Calories 358 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 358cal | 18% |
| Carbohydrates | 10g | 3% |
| Protein | 11g | 22% |
| Fat | 32g | 49% |
| Saturated Fat | 16g | 80% |
| Cholesterol | 91mg | 30% |
| Sodium | 379mg | 16% |
| Potassium | 332mg | 7% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 3g | 6% |
| Vitamin A | 1478IU | 30% |
| Vitamin C | 13mg | 14% |
| Calcium | 189mg | 19% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
48 reviews
Excellent
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