Southern Style Green Beans

Fresh greens beans cooked low and slow with just a bit of smokey bacon bring back great memories of family suppers. These “southern style” green beans are a tradition in many homes and are always at covered dish suppers and church picnics.

I must admit, this is not how I cook green beans most of the time. I tend to roast or sautee them because my family likes them a little bit crispy. I’m somewhat impatient thus the reason for my faster cooking methods!

Having said all that, there are times you need to head back to your roots. This recipe starts out with a layer of bacon flavor that’s the foundation for a great pot of beans. After that, all you do is add is a little vegetable stock, some seasoning and then…you just have to wait a bit.

I picked up a “mess of beans” this past weekend at a local farm stand. All I could think about was those lazy summer days when I was a little girl learning how to pick, snap and cook green beans. I would spend my days with my Mama Swain (my grandmother) and there were always vegetables to prep and cook for supper or for canning. Green beans were plentiful, so I received more than one lesson on how to cook them. So, last Saturday, with all those great memories swirling in my head, I grabbed my big cast iron pot and started cooking. It was a good day, cooking a delicious, southern recipe that brought back feelings of a comforting, loving home.

Southern Style Green Beans

Green beans cooked low and slow in bacon are a Southern tradition.

4.65 from 14 votes

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Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Servings: 4

Author: Donya Mullins

Ingredients

• 3 slices bacon - cut into 1/2" pieces
• 1 1/2 pounds green beans - washed, trimmed and snapped into about 2" lengths
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

• Cook bacon pieces in a heavy bottom pan until done. Remove bacon from pan and place on a paper towel to drain. Set aside.
• Add green beans to pan and cook on medium high heat. Toss beans in bacon drippings to coat. Continue to cook until beans turn bright green.
• Carefully pour in stock and add garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir to incorporate. Add bacon pieces back to pot with beans.
• Turn burner to low, cover beans with lid - slightly off center and cook for about 1 hour until beans are tender, stirring every 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately.

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