Green beans with bacon, garlic, and Parmesan cheese is a flavorful, crowd-pleasing savory side dish that will complement any main course! Enjoy it year-round, pairing it with steaks, grilled meats, chicken, or seafood. It is also an excellent festive addition to holiday meals like Thanksgiving and Christmas!
Why you'll love it
- Quick and easy. With just 4 main ingredients—fresh green beans, bacon, garlic, and Parmesan cheese—plus olive oil, salt, and black pepper, it’s incredibly simple to prepare.
- Fresh and crisp. The recipe showcases fresh green beans (Haricots Verts) - no canned beans here!
- Try something different! Many green bean recipes look pretty much the same. Here, the addition of Parmesan cheese and garlic takes this one to a whole new level. It's sure to impress!
The ingredients and substitutions
- Green beans - Use fresh beans and wash them thoroughly. Trim the stem ends using a sharp knife or your fingers. You can use asparagus or Brussels sprouts as a substitute.
- Bacon - Cook the raw bacon in the oven before chopping it and combining it with the green beans. Prosciutto can be used instead; simply crisp it up in the oven.
- Parmesan cheese - I freshly grated the block of cheese, but pre-shredded Parmesan works as well. You can also use Gruyere or Asiago cheese.
- Garlic - Finely chop 5 cloves of raw garlic and sauté them with the green beans.
- Olive oil - is for sautéing the green beans and garlic.
- Salt and pepper - Use freshly ground coarse black pepper.
How to prepare green beans with bacon
1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Boil green beans for 3-5 minutes, then drain. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, sauté garlic for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add green beans and cook for 2 more minutes with garlic.
2) Top with chopped cooked bacon, shredded cheese, and black pepper.
3) Bake for 5 minutes until the cheese melts slightly, or broil briefly.
Serve it warm or cold?
Green beans and bacon are best enjoyed hot, warm, or at room temperature. Avoid serving it straight from the fridge, as cold bacon is not something many people like.
Recipe tips
- How to choose the best fresh green beans. Look for bright green beans that are firm, smooth, and free of blemishes. Avoid beans that are wrinkled, soft, or have brown spots.
- Wash them thoroughly. Rinse the green beans under cold running water to remove any dirt or residue.
- Trim the ends. Use a sharp knife or your fingers to snap off the stem ends.
Storage tips
This dish can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen within 24 hours of preparation. To reheat, use the microwave in 30-second intervals or warm it in a preheated 350°F oven for about 15 minutes, or until heated through.
Other green bean recipes you might like
- Garlic Green Beans with Olive Oil, Lemon, and Parmesan
- Green Beans with Butternut Squash, Cranberries, and Pecans
- Green Beans with Pine Nuts and Parmesan
- Thanksgiving Roasted Veggies (Green Beans and Butternut Squash) with Bacon and Pumpkin Seeds
Green Beans with Bacon, Garlic, and Parmesan
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Note: This recipe calls for pre-cooked bacon. I used raw bacon, cooking it on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet in a preheated oven at 350°F for about 20 minutes, or longer, until it reached the desired crispiness. Then, I drained the cooked bacon on paper towels on a plate.
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, add green beans, and cook for 3-5 minutes. Drain.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped garlic and sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant, being careful not to burn it.
- Add the drained green beans to the skillet and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Top with chopped cooked bacon and shredded cheese. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.
- Bake for 5 minutes, just until the cheese softens and melts slightly. Avoid overbaking to prevent the cheese from separating. Alternatively, broil briefly.
Notes
- Green beans: Choose fresh, firm, blemish-free beans. Rinse thoroughly under cold water to remove dirt, then trim the stem ends before cooking.
- How to serve it: Best enjoyed hot or at room temperature—avoid serving cold.
- Leftovers: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze within 24 hours. Reheat in the microwave (30-second intervals) or bake at 350°F for 15 minutes.
- Additions: Add finely chopped onions and sauté them with the garlic before adding the green beans. You can add toasted pine nuts, almonds, or walnuts right before serving.
- Substitutions:
- Veggies: You can use fresh green beans, asparagus, or Brussels sprouts.
- Bacon: Use pre-cooked bacon or swap for crisped prosciutto.
- Cheese: You can use freshly grated Parmesan, Gruyere, or Asiago.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Bacon and cheese made my green beans so tasty. Excellent recipe!
Glad you liked it as much as I did! 🙂
This is so good, I can eat the whole skillet for dinner which is exactly what I did, haha!