Old Fashioned Green Beans: Using the Garden Veggies

Old Fashioned Green Beans

I just love this time of year…when I can head into my backyard and simply pick my supper! The food is bursting with flavor and it doesn’t cost anything but my time to get it on the table for my family.

Green Beans are always in abundance in the summer. We usually just cook them, add a bit of butter, and enjoy them as a side dish but today I’m making something a little special for you, Old Fashioned Green Beans. These beans have all of that delicious fresh taste but with a side of smoky deliciousness…bacon

You can use either Turkey Bacon or regular Bacon for this recipe, whichever works for your family. This recipe does take a little bit longer to cook than just cooking plain beans but I promise that it’s worth it!

Old Fashioned Green Beans

What You Need:

• 1/4 pound Bacon
• 1 medium Onion
• 2 pounds Green Beans
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• Water

Using a dutch oven or a large saucepan, cook the bacon until cooked through. I didn’t need a whole package for this recipe but I cooked the entire package anyway and put the extras in the freezer. My hubby loves it on pizza. 🙂 I also didn’t use “fancy” bacon but opted for the “ends” instead because we could get them uncured from a local farm. (And they were much cheaper!)

Add in the onion and cook for another 5 minutes or so. Dice up the bacon as well as you can into smaller pieces using your spoon.

While the bacon and onion are cooking, wash and trim your green beans. You can cut them into smaller pieces or leave them whole with the ends trimmed off.

Drain the grease off of the bacon and return it to the pan. Add the green beans and salt into the pan with the bacon and onion and fill with enough water to almost cover the beans.

Simmer the mixture for about 30 to 40 minutes or until the green beans are tender, stirring occasionally. Drain off any excess water and place the dish into a large bowl. Stir in the butter and serve warm.

These beans make a delicious side for any fresh summer meal. I know you will love them!

Make sure you keeping on checking back each Friday this summer for a new post in our Using the Garden Veggies series for some great recipes to use that garden abundance!