Sauteed green beans with bacon and onion is a bright, flavorful, and easy side dish to any meal. These green beans are blanched to keep the bright color and crunch and sauteed with bacon and onions.
This easy side dish is absolutely soul warming with a healthy factor from fresh green beans and sinful comfort of bacon.
It may be hard to imagine how three simple ingredients coming together can create such a taste delight but it’s true. Each bite includes slightly sweet and crunchy green beans, salty bacon, and sweet caramelized Vidalia onion.
A perfect side dish to many dinner options. It will make a great fresh addition to Thanksgiving and Christmas menu and well as any other holiday.
These Bacon Green Beans will go nicely along side of steak, chicken, and seafood.
Depending on how soft or crunchy you prefer veggies, this side dish will be ready on about 30 minutes. It will take even less time if green beans are blanched ahead of time.
Blanching Green Beans
To achieve beautiful, vibrant green color and retain the crunch of the green beans, you should blanch them first. Great news is, it’s easy! Better news is, it can be done ahead of time!
- Trim the ends off green beans where the bean attached to the vine. (Or buy already trimmed green beans.)
- Prepare ice water bowl by combining cold water and a couple of cups of ice in a large mixing bowl.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil and drop green beans in it. Boil them for about 2-4 minutes (depending on thickness).
- Take green beans out of the hot water and immediately into the ice water. This will shock green beans and stop the cooking process, preserving color and crunch.
- After green beans have cooled (just a couple of minutes), take them out onto a clean towel to pat dry.
- Use green beans immediately or refrigerate or freeze them.
How To Make Sauteed Green Beans
- Slice cold bacon strips, width-wise, into small, thin strips and slice onion thinly as well.
- Preheat a large cooking pan over medium heat and add diced bacon. Sauté for a few minutes, until bacon fat is half way rendered and it starts to brown.
- Add onions and sauté until onions are softened and start to brown.
- Add green beans and season with a little bit of salt and pepper.
- Sauté green beans for 10-15 minutes, mixing from time to time. Time will depend on how soft or crunchy you prefer green beans.
Can I Blanch Green Beans Ahead of Time?
Save yourself some time by blanching the green beans the night before and give yourself one less thing to worry about.
You can easily blanch the green beans a day ahead or even longer. If you blanch green beans the night before, make sure to pat them dry and store them in the refrigerator in an airtight food storage container.
You can also blanch them a few days before and freeze them. To freeze, pat green beans dry and potion them into freezer bags. Take most of air out, close, label, and freeze. Thaw slowly overnight, in the refrigerator.
Some More Easy Side Dish Recipes
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Green Beans with Bacon and Onions Recipe
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs fresh green beans
- 12 oz bacon center cut is best to use
- 1 Vidalia onion
- salt
- black pepper
Instructions
Blanching Green Beans:
- Snip the ends off green beans where the bean attached to the vine.
- Prepare ice water bowl by combining cold water and a couple of cups of ice in a large mixing bowl.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil and drop green beans in it. Boil them for about 2-4 minutes (depending on thickness).
- Take green beans out of the hot water and immediately into the ice water.
- After green beans have cooled, take them out onto a clean towel to pat dry.
Sauté Green Beans:
- Preheat a large cooking pan over medium heat.
- Slice bacon strips, width-wise, into small, thin strips. Slice onion thinly as well.
- Spread bacon in the hot pan and sauté for a couple of minutes, until bacon fat is half way rendered and bacon starts to brown.
- Add onions and sauté until onions are softened and start to brown.
- Add green beans and season with a little bit of salt and pepper.
- Sauté green beans for 10-15 minutes, mixing from time to time. Cook time will depend on how soft or crunchy you prefer green beans.
Notes
- Make Ahead: You can easily blanch the green beans a day ahead or even longer. If you blanch green beans the night before, make sure to pat them dry and store them in the refrigerator in an airtight food storage container.
- Storing: store leftover green beans in an air-tight food storage container, in the refrigerator, for 2-3 days.
- To reheat: sauté them in the preheated pan for a few minutes, just until heated through.
Nutrition
Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in November 2018.
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