The smoky familiarity of the bacon, the sweetness of the tender green beans, and the heartiness of the red potatoes when simmered in a savory beef broth enhance this Smothered Green Beans with Potatoes. The side dish’s robust flavors are complemented by garlic, onion, and hot sauce, rendering a dish that is as pleasant as it is satisfying. Whether served at a family dinner or holiday feast, this favored side will entice its simplicity. Taste the tenderness of the bacon and the flavorful richness of the green beans and potatoes in harmony with all things smoke!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
Hearty Robust Flavors: You won’t be able to get enough of the savory, slightly smoky savor of bacon, onions, garlic, and hot sauce!
Ideal Texture: the green beans become tender while the potatoes soak up the flavorful broth because the long, slow simmering allows them to become soft but still intact. Try our Irish Bacon, Cabbage, and Potato Soup next.
Perfect Pairing: Serve it with roast chicken, pork chops, or grilled steaks for a meal your guests will remember!
Traditional Southern Flavor: Bacon and a bit of spice in the ingredients bring Southern comfort cuisine to your meal.
Key Ingredients:
Thick-Cut Hickory-Smoked Bacon: Bacon makes the dish richer and deeper. Hickory-smoked bacon is best for its deep, smoky flavor, but if you prefer, you can substitute smoked sausage.
Yellow Onion: The onion provides sweetness and depth for the broth. Slice it into thin wedges so it gets tender quickly.
Beef Broth: A low-sodium beef broth lends an intense flavor without it being too intense. Or you can use broth made with chicken or vegetable.
Fresh Green Beans: For best texture and flavor, you want fresh green beans. To cook faster and more evenly, search for bright green beans and avoid any with blemishes, and trim them to 2-inch-long pieces. If you like this, you'll love our Beef Bourguignon.
Red Potatoes: These hold their shape better than any other potato, which is great for this dish. Quartering them ensures that they cook evenly and absorb the flavors from the broth.
Full ingredient quantities, along with instructions can be found in the recipe card below
Step-by-Step Instructions
Cook the bacon:
In a large Dutch oven, cook the chopped bacon over medium heat until crispy and golden, about 10 minutes. This will render flavorful bacon fat into the pot.
Remove and drain:
Once the bacon is crisp, carefully take it out using a slotted spoon and transfer it to a plate lined with paper towels. Leave the bacon drippings in the pot for added flavor. (If you’re using smoked sausage rather than bacon, render its fat in the same manner.)
Sauté the Onions and Garlic:
Sauté Onions and Garlic: Add the sliced onions and minced garlic to the drippings you reserved in the pot. Sweat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. This move develops a deep base of flavor.
Main ingredients:
Thick cut hickory-smoked bacon: it makes the dish rich and deep; hickory sauce is preferred because it is deep and smoky in flavor, but you can also use smoked sausage if you want to. Yellow onion: chopped yellow onion brings sweetness and depth in the broth; cut it into thin wedges, so they cook in no time. Ceds’ Beef Broth: low-sodium beef broth provides depth of flavor without burying anything else.
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Fresh green beans : use fresh ones, for the best texture and flavor; it should be bright and avoid using the one with blemishes; instead, you slice them to 2-inch wrapes for quick and even cooking. Red Potatoes: they are the best for keeps the shape and size of any other potato; quarter them to absorb the flavor of the broth and cook evenly. Others and full ingredient amounts found in the recipe card below. Directions:
Cook the bacon
Let the bacon cook and crisp for the next 10 minutes or so as it renders out its fat, which will only help flavor everything else. For another easy option, see our Bacon Egg and Hash Brown Casserole for a Lazy Weekend Breakfast.
Seasonings
Drain and dry: When crispy, use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate, leaving the bacon drippings behind in the pot. If you’re using smoked sausage or if you have access to bacon crank to medium heat and render in over fat sorghum using the same process.
Serving Suggestions:
Smothered Green Beans and Potatoes is a versatile side dish that pairs well with all kinds of main courses:
Roast Chicken: The savory elements of this dish are a great match for the juicy, spiced skin of roast chicken.
Pork Chops: Pair with grilled or pan-fried pork chops for that classic Southern dish.
Barbecue Ribs: Smoky bacon and mild green bean spice contrast as sweet and savory with tender, barbecue ribs. The melt of this meal pairs well to satisfy an epic appetite.
Cornbread: There’s nothing wrong with freshly baked warm cornbread, but rustic, crusty bread is a fantastic vehicle for mopping up every last drop of flavorful broth and making each spoonful really fulfilling.
Fried Catfish: No true Southern meal is complete without it; golden and crispy, fried catfish provides another level of crunch and flavor to our dining experience.
For another green bean side, try Green Bean Casserole Without Mushroom Soup, with fresh beans in a homemade cream sauce.
For another green bean side, try Green Bean Casserole with Worcestershire Sauce, with sharp cheddar and a crisp fried onion topping.
Storage and Reheating Tips:
Smothered Green Beans with Potatoes is good leftover, easy to store and reheat.
Storage: Transfer any leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Freezing: This can be frozen for up to 2 months. Cool completely and then transfer to an airtight container suitable for freezing. Allow 24 hours before reheating. You might also like our Smothered Chicken with Creamed Spinach, Bacon, and Mushrooms.
To Reheat: Heat in a pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. You can also need to add a splash of water or broth if the mixture has thickened in the fridge.
Recipe Variations
Smoky Sausage Version: using a smoked sausage and slicing it in place of the bacon, cook the slices until they are browned, then proceed with the recipe by sauteing the onions and garlic.
Vinegar Kick: adding a splash of apple cider vinegar at the end of cooking for a bitter clash with the other rich flavors.
Spicy Version: using more crushed red pepper, or adding diced jalapeños.
Herbed Variation: adding fresh herbs, such as thyme and rosemary, when mixing the green beans into the serving dish. Turkey Bacon Substitute So, if you do not have enough fat in the pan, add a little oil. Try our Slow Cooker Loaded Potato Bake next.
Conclusion
Southern Smothered Green Beans with Potatoes are a classic dish of bacon, green beans, and potatoes simmered in a deep-flavored, rich broth to warm the soul. Formed in separate layers of delicate green beans, potatoes and smoky bacon, this Southern classic brings all the comfort. Whether you are feeding it to your loved ones on a special occasion or craving it after a long day, this dish will never fail to warm your heart and uplifts your spirit. So try it out yourself and let the mouth-watering taste of Southern comfort food make its way to your tastebuds! If you like this, you'll love our Baked Potato Soup.
Smothered Green Beans with Potatoes
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Ingredients
- 4 slices thick-cut hickory-smoked bacon chopped; can substitute with smoked sausage
- 1/2 cup yellow onion sliced
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- 4 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1.5 pounds fresh green beans cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce adjust to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 medium red potatoes quartered
- Ground black pepper for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Place chopped bacon in a medium-sized Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook until crispy, about 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the drippings in the pot.
- Add sliced onions and minced garlic to the reserved bacon drippings in the pot. Cook over medium heat until onions are soft and translucent, about 2 minutes.
- Return the cooked bacon to the pot and add green beans, hot sauce, kosher salt, crushed red pepper, and ground black pepper. Stir well to coat everything with the seasonings. Pour in beef broth, covering the green beans. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the quartered red potatoes to the pot and increase heat to medium. Simmer for another 25 minutes, or until potatoes are tender but hold their shape.
- Once the potatoes are tender, remove the pot from heat. Serve warm, garnished with extra ground black pepper if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
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Nutrition values are estimates based on the listed ingredients and serving count. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion sizes.
