Green Beans and Potatoes With Bacon (35 Minutes)
This twist on southern-style green beans and potatoes combines seasoned roasted potatoes, vibrant green beans, and crispy bacon for a deliciously satisfying tasty side dish.
Only 6 ingredients and no frying! The potatoes and bacon are baked in the oven while the green beans are quickly microwaved to maintain their bright green color.
What to expect
Expect a delicious combination of crispy potatoes with creamy insides, tender green beans and crisp smoky bacon, elevated with a tang of white balsamic.
The bacon adds a lovely smoky flavor and a touch of richness. Much of the bacon fat gets absorbed into the potatoes, which are baked together with the bacon.
This is a great recipe for family or holiday meals with just a few simple ingredients combining a starch and vegetable to create two-sides-in-one.
Customize with variations like red bell peppers or pomegranate seeds for a festive touch, especially for Christmas dinner.
Ingredients – tailored to your taste
Green beans: (also called string beans or snap beans). Most kinds will work including the slim French green beans or haricots vert. Just reduce the cook time a little bit. I prefer using fresh green beans, but frozen green beans will work too. I don’t recommend using canned green beans.
Potatoes – I use yellow or red baby potatoes (also called new potatoes) for this recipe, but Yukon gold potatoes work perfectly as well. I cut them into smaller pieces to roast more quickly.
White balsamic vinegar: A good quality one adds a touch of depth, sweetness, and tartness.
Variations and substitutes
- Seasoning: Instead of a BBQ rub for the potatoes, try Montreal steak seasoning, Italian seasoning, herbes de Provence, taco seasoning or Cajun seasoning.
- Heat: Add some spice with red pepper flakes or chili crisps.
- Bacon substitutes: Pancetta, ham, sausage, turkey bacon, plant-based vegan ‘bacon’.
- White balsamic vinegar: can be substituted with regular balsamic vinegar. Other substitutes include white wine vinegar or rice wine vinegar. You can also use a little Italian dressing instead.
- Toppings: Sprinkle the final dish with crispy fried onions (you can buy these in a can), chopped dates for sweetness, red pomegranate seeds, chopped roasted red peppers, or lemon zest.
- Cooking process: You can roast the beans along with the potatoes and bacon if you don’t mind the beans turning a dull green.
Step-by-step instructions
Shortcuts
- Buy trimmed and washed fresh green beans in a package. A little more expensive but a very convenient time-saver.
- Use a store-bought seasoning rub as per the recipe.
- Cut the baby potatoes in quarters (unless they are very small) to shorten the cooking time, as per the recipe.
Tips to keep beans bright green
DO: If you want to make the green beans ahead of time and keep them bright green, microwave them first, then plunge them into ice water to shock them. Drain and put them aside (or in the fridge for a day or two), and warm them in the microwave for a minute or two before adding them to the rest of the dish. This step isn’t necessary if you are microwaving the beans just before serving.
DON’T: Keeping beans warm in a covered dish will turn them a dull green.
What to serve with green beans and potatoes
I think this side dish pairs really well with sous vide chicken thighs, sous vide New York strip steak, crispy baked fish, homemade peri-peri chicken as well as dinner party or holiday fare like sous vide turkey breast , sous vide boneless leg of lamb, or reverse sear prime rib.
You can even serve the green beans, potatoes, and bacon as a main dish with a side salad like our fig salad or citrus salad with greens.
Recipe FAQs
Definitely. Sweet potatoes will have a different and sweeter taste than regular potatoes, but just as delicious.
Absolutely. Turkey bacon is a great alternative as is pancetta, sausage or ham.
To make the recipe vegetarian or vegan, either omit the bacon altogether or replace it with a plant-based bacon substitute. If you are omitting the bacon, try adding a seasoning like smoked paprika.
The classic southern green bean and potato recipe typically involves boiling the potatoes and green beans together. In some recipes, the bacon is fried first and then boiled with the veggies to infuse flavor. In others, the bacon is fried separately and added for a crispy texture. Seasonings include salt, pepper, and sometimes a dash of vinegar or a sprinkle of onions.
More green bean recipes
- Chinese stir-fry green beans
- Microwave green beans
- Flat green beans (charred)
- Simple chicken and green bean stir fry
If you are making this green beans, potatoes and bacon recipe for Thanksgiving, check out our other delicious Thanksgiving side dishes to serve alongside it.
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Green Beans and Potatoes With Bacon (35 Minutes)
Ingredients
- 3/4 pound baby white or red potatoes, cut in quarters (or halves if very small) (or susbstitute with Yukon gold potatoes)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dry rub seasoning, Note 1 (or more to taste)
- 5 slices of bacon, Note 2
- 3/4 pound fresh green beans, Note 3
- 2 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar, Note 4
- 1/4 teaspoon each, salt and black pepper (or more if needed)
Instructions
- HEAT OVEN TO 425F/218C. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil sprayed with oil.
- PREPARE POTATOES AND BACON: Toss cut potatoes with oil and dry rub. Place potatoes in single layer on one half of prepared pan. On the other side, lay strips of bacon in single layer.
- BAKE POTATOES AND BACON: Place pan in center rack of oven. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Flip over bacon. Toss potatoes. Return to oven for another 5 minutes or until bacon is crispy. Transfer crisp bacon to paper towel to drain. Put potatoes back in oven if you want more browned and tender potatoes (while you make green beans). You will use leftover bacon fat left in pan in the final step.
- MICROWAVE GREEN BEANS: While potatoes and bacon are in oven, prepare green beans. Trim off ends and cut in half or thirds. Rinse well and place trimmed green beans in microwave-safe dish. Microwave on High heat, covered, for 4-6 minutes for regular string beans (less time for thin beans). Check if tender (cook longer if needed). Drain beans (there will be a little water accumulated in dish).
- ASSEMBLE: Cut or crush crisp bacon into small bits. Place cooked green beans, roasted potatoes (with 2-3 teaspoons bacon fat left in pan) and bacon pieces in a large bowl. Drizzle on white balsamic vinegar and toss everything together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add extra toppings or garnish if desired (see variations Note 5 below). Serve warm (preferred) or at room temperature.
Recipe Notes
- Dry rub alternatives: BBQ rub, Montreal steak seasoning, Italian seasoning, herbes de Provence, taco seasoning or cajun seasoning. If you want to make your own, sprinkle potatoes with paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
- Bacon substitutes: pancetta, ham, sausage, turkey bacon, plant-based vegan ‘bacon’. If you leave out the bacon and still want a smoky flavor, add a 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika.Â
- Green bean (string bean) options: Most kinds will work including the slim French green beans or haricot vert. Just reduce the cook time if they are thinner. I prefer using fresh green beans, but frozen green beans will work too. Follow package directions for the microwave.
- White balsamic vinegar substitutes: regular balsamic vinegar, white wine vinegar or rice wine vinegar. You can also use a little Italian dressing instead.
- Variations:
- Heat: add some spice with red pepper flakes or chili crisps
- Toppings/Garnish: sprinkle the final dish with crispy fried onions (you can buy this in a can), chopped dates for sweetness, pomegranate seeds, chopped roasted red peppers, or lemon zest.
- Cooking method: You can roast the beans along with the potatoes and bacon if you don’t mind the beans turning a dull green.
- Make ahead
- Make the full recipe a couple of hours or a day ahead and reheat it in the microwave for 2-3 minutes or in a 350F/177C oven for about 10 minutes until heated through.
- If making the dish ahead and you want the beans to stay a bright green, microwave them first, then plunge them into ice water to shock them. Drain, pat dry with a paper towel and put them aside (or in the fridge for a day or two), and warm them in the microwave for a minute or two before adding to the rest of the dish. There is no need to do this if you are microwaving the beans just before serving.Â
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
