Description
Succulent bacon mingles with crisp green beans in this Southern-style side dish that brings hearty comfort to any dinner table. Salty, smoky flavors dance together, creating a simple yet irresistible companion you’ll crave alongside main courses.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Protein:
- 6 slices bacon, chopped
Fresh Vegetables:
- 1 pound (454 grams) fresh green beans, trimmed
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Seasonings:
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Optional: red pepper flakes for spice
Instructions
- Render bacon in a spacious cast-iron pan over moderate flame until golden and crisp, allowing fat to release and pool in the skillet. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, preserving the rich, smoky drippings.
- Sauté finely chopped onions in the residual bacon fat, stirring occasionally until they become translucent and slightly caramelized.
- Introduce minced garlic to the aromatic mixture, gently stirring to prevent burning and release its pungent essence.
- Incorporate fresh green beans into the skillet, tumbling them to ensure complete coating with the flavorful bacon rendering. Maintain medium heat while cooking, allowing beans to become tender yet retain a delightful crunch.
- Enhance the dish with judicious sprinklings of kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and optional red pepper flakes for a subtle heat.
- Crumble the previously prepared crisp bacon and delicately fold into the green bean medley, ensuring even distribution of the smoky, savory fragments.
- Transfer to a serving platter and present immediately while the beans remain warm and the bacon retains its delectable crispness.
Notes
- Crisp bacon in a skillet slowly to render maximum flavor without burning, ensuring a perfect golden-brown texture that adds delightful crunch to the green beans.
- Control heat carefully when sautéing onions and garlic to prevent burning, which can create bitter undertones and ruin the dish’s delicate balance.
- Opt for fresh green beans when possible, as they provide superior texture and vibrant color compared to frozen alternatives, elevating the overall dish quality.
- Adjust seasoning based on bacon’s saltiness; some bacon varieties are saltier than others, so taste and season incrementally to avoid over-salting.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg