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!
Cook the bacon* pieces in a large skillet until it’s crispy. Drain the pieces on paper towels, reserving a little bacon grease.
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.
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.
Add in the drained, canned green beans, tossing until everything is hot and combined.
Garnish your dish with your freshly grated Parmesan and French fried onions or almonds if desired, or both!
Notes
Variations
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.
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!
TIPS
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.
Make Ahead Instructions
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!