Smothered Green Beans

You can quickly whip up this comforting side of easy Smothered Green Beans for dinner tonight and any holiday meal in less than 25 minutes.

Suitable for gluten free, low carb and keto diets. Post includes Weight Watchers points.

Fork tender green beans, in a creamy garlic sauce all complete with some crispy bacon…you can make this easy Smothered Green Beans recipe right now. And with only 6 everyday ingredients, you have every excuse to make this green bean casserole 43,562 times this year alone.

This is a creative yet really easy side dish that adds amazing flavor to any meal during holidays such as Easter Thanksgiving and Christmas, potlucks and dinners or anytime you want a simple one pot vegetable recipe.

Just like this easy Smothered Cabbage and garlic butter Instant Pot Red Potatoes the best part of this recipe is you only need a handful of pantry ingredients, one pot (aka minimal clean up) and 5 minutes of prep time to whip it up.

Why Make This Recipe

• Quick and easy – less than 25 minutes of cook time in one pot with everyday pantry ingredients. Easy cooking, easy cleanup. 
• Leftovers – great for using leftover beans, bacon or other meats.
• Budget-friendly – made with affordable ingredients you already own.
• Serve all the ways – enjoy as-is for a simple meal, or serve as a side for various meats dishes, fish, or veggies.
• Diets – Suitable for gluten free, low carb and keto and diets.

Ingredient Notes

• Green Beans – I used fresh green beans for this.
• Chicken stock – You can use beef or vegetable stock if you prefer. 
• Seasoning – This gets some delicious flavor from garlic salt. You can use homemade or store-bought.
• Bacon – Use your leftover bacon to make this or get store-bought bacon bits. The crisper the better.
• Shallots – Shallots are used so that this cooks quickly, but alternatively you can use finely sliced white or red onion.
• Optional – My favorite add-ins are cajun seasoning or creole seasoning or Italian Seasoning.

How To Make Smothered Green Beans With Bacon

• Heat oil over medium heat in a skillet or large saucepan and sauté shallots for a couple of minutes until softened.
• Add a fourth of the bacon and all the green beans and cook for a minute.
• Mix in garlic salt and stock, cover and simmer for 15 minutes (beans with a little bite) to 22 minutes (soft beans).
• Uncover, adjust seasoning and switch off the heat and top with the remaining bacon.
• Serve as is for a low carb dish, or with rice or cornbread as a main dish.

Recipe Tips

• You can add some sugar to make it sweeter.
• Tomato paste adds a delicious sharpness to this recipe.
• Cook time will depend on how tender you want your green beans. The longer you cook them the tenderer they become. Start checking at 15 mins and go from there.

Delicious Variations

This smothered green bean recipe are delicious as is, but here are a few variations to try:

• Change the meat – Use your leftover ham or smoked turkey instead.
• Add heat – some red pepper flakes, chipotle or cayenne is an easy way to add heat.
• Use different seasonings – Cajun seasoning, creole seasoning, Greek seasoning, oregano, thyme, dill, rosemary, etc.

Budget Friendly Tips

• Add extra veggies – Add in some potatoes to bulk it out as a main meal.
• Feel free to double up the recipe for meal prep.

Storage And Meal Prep

• Refrigerate – let cool and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
• Don’t Freeze – Potatoes don’t free well, so I don’t recommend freezing this dish.
• Make an extra batch or two that you can use with other meals throughout the week.
• This recipe stores for 4 days, so you can eat it on the day you cook it plus 4 more days.
• Separate leftovers in single eat-sized portions, place in airtight meal prep containers and let cool completely with the lids off before sealing and storing.
• To vary it up through the week serve it up with different treats like leftover Rotisserie Chicken, cheesy Parmesan Chicken, fish, bulk out leftover soups and stews, etc.

FAQs

Tools Needed

• A handy skillet.
• A sharp knife makes cutting so much easier.
• A cutting board.

Weight Watchers Points

There are 3 Blue Plan SmartPoints in a serving of this.

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Did you make this recipe? Then I would love to hear how it turned out. Please leave a comment and star rating below. And I really appreciate you sharing this recipe with your family and friends. Enjoy every mouthful 😊🍲 – Bintu

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