Servings
Font
Back
5.0 from 3 votes

Southern-Style Green Beans

Homemade Southern-style green beans are a staple of the holiday celebrations in my home. Parmesan makes them rich and cheesy, and they have just the right amount of crunch from fried onions and toasted almonds. It's my take on green bean casserole with bacon!

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
25 mins
Servings: 6 -8 servings
Calories: 69 kcal
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 3-4 lices thick cut bacon chopped*
  • 1-3 tablespoons butter or olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon garlic minced
  • ½ large shallot minced (or one small shallot)
  • 2 14.9 oz cans French Style Green Beans, drained
  • ½ cup Parmesan Cheese grated
Optional
  • French fried onions
  • toasted sliced almonds
  • red pepper flakes
  • Black pepper to taste

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Cook the bacon* pieces in a large skillet until it’s crispy. Drain the pieces on paper towels, reserving a little bacon grease. 
  2. Return the pan to the stove with your choice of fat. If you don’t want to use leftover bacon grease, use additional butter or olive oil instead.
  3. Sauté the garlic and shallots until they begin to caramelize, about 4-5 minutes, adding red pepper flakes if desired. Then, return the bacon to the pan.
  4. Add in the drained, canned green beans, tossing until everything is hot and combined.
  5. Garnish your dish with your freshly grated Parmesan and French fried onions or almonds if desired, or both!

Notes

  • While the finished dish is best served immediately, you can start your prep in advance! Crisp the bacon and cook the shallots and garlic, then remove from heat and set aside, keeping the bacon separate so it doesn’t get soggy.
  • Keep the pan covered or transfer the mixture to the refrigerator if you’ll be assembling more than a few hours later. Then, warm garlic/shallot mixture on the stove before continuing with the recipe!
  • You can easily make this green bean casserole with bacon recipe with fresh or frozen (thawed) green beans. But honestly, this recipe is delicious with canned! Seriously! Cook the green beans until your desired tenderness. I would keep the bacon out until the last minute as well since they will need to cook a bit longer. 
  • Turkey bacon is another option, but you’ll need to use butter and/or olive oil since there won’t be enough bacon grease.
  • No Bacon? Use real bacon pieces or bacon bits instead!
  • Instead of almonds or crispy onion topping, try toasted walnuts or pecans!
  • Kick up the heat! Love it spicy? Add red pepper flakes when sautéing the shallots and garlic, black pepper is also delicious. I typically do not add any salt as the canned green beans are salty enough, but taste and see!
  • Pro Tip 1 | Caramelizing onions is easily done by keeping your skillet at a medium heat and leaving them alone. You can stir occasionally to prevent any sticking, but too much stirring will prolong the process.
  • Pro Tip 2 | Bacon is easiest to chop when it’s fresh out of the refrigerator. Stack the slices, slice into thinner strips, then cut those into smaller pieces.
  • Pro Tip 3 | Easily double or triple this recipe for Southern-style green beans depending on how many guests you’ll be serving.

Nutrition Information

Serving 11 serving Calories 69kcal (3%) Carbohydrates 3g (1%) Protein 4g (8%) Fat 5g (8%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g Cholesterol 14mg (5%) Sodium 201mg (8%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 1g (2%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6-8 servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 69

% Daily Value*

Serving 11 serving
Calories 69kcal 3%
Carbohydrates 3g 1%
Protein 4g 8%
Fat 5g 8%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g 12%
Cholesterol 14mg 5%
Sodium 201mg 8%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 1g 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.