Food and Recipes Party Food and Drink 18 Easy Green Bean Recipes That Complement Any Main Dish By Southern Living Editors Southern Living Editors Since 1966, the editors of Southern Living have been carrying out the mission of the brand: to bring enjoyment, fulfillment, and inspiration to our readers by celebrating life in the South. We inspire creativity in their homes, their kitchens, their gardens, and their personal style. We are a friend they can trust, a guide to the seasons, a helping hand during the holidays, and a relentless champion of the Southern way of life. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on August 18, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall As far as vegetables go, we're pretty big fans of green beans. They're versatile, inexpensive, and pack a nutritional wallop with vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. Did we mention that they're delicious, too? We've created a lot of green bean recipes over the years, because they seem to go with everything. Need some crunch in a potato salad? Green beans to the rescue. Grilled pork tenderloin that needs a simple, summery side? Fresh green bean recipes are the way to go. Don't even get us started on that iconic Thanksgiving casserole. We love green bean recipes so much we must have invented dozens of twists on the dish over the years. We like them pretty much every which way, but these recipes for green beans all have one thing in common: They're darn delicious! From our Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole to Pickled Green Beans and more, we've picked the best of the best green bean recipes from our repertoire. 01 of 18 Garlic Parmesan Green Beans Photographer: Isaac Nunn, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn Recipe: Garlic Parmesan Green Beans This recipe delivers plenty of flavor, with minimal effort, thanks to minced garlic, Parmesan cheese, and bacon. 02 of 18 Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole Caitlin Bensel / Southern Living Recipe: Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole Your slow cooker does most of the work for this green bean casserole that requires just 15 minutes of hands-on time. 03 of 18 Green Beans with Bacon Breadcrumbs Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Recipe: Green Beans with Bacon Breadcrumbs If you're looking to skip the heavy green bean casserole but still need a side that packs all the flavor and holiday appeal, look no further than our Green Beans with Bacon Breadcrumbs. They're crunchy, vibrant, and just decadent enough to take a starring role. 04 of 18 Old-School Green Bean Casserole Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Old-School Green Bean Casserole Win over your guests this holiday season by making a homemade green bean casserole, topped with fried shallots. 05 of 18 Green Bean Almondine Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Karen Rankin Recipe: Green Bean AlmondineLet this be your go-to green bean recipe. These simple yet impressive beans are quick and easy to pull together and go with just about anything. 06 of 18 Slow-Cooker Green Beans Iain Bagwell Recipe: Slow-Cooker Green Beans Recipe Throw bacon and green beans in a slow-cooker to create the ultimate savory side dish that is perfect for any week night meal. 07 of 18 Tangy Potato-Green Bean Salad Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Tangy Potato-Green Bean Salad We reinvented potato salad by holding the mayo and adding green beans for a fresh take on the classic dish. 08 of 18 Pickled Green Beans Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Pickled Green Beans Start with our Master Pickle Brine, then dress it up with some spice from a jalapeño and a twist of licorice-flavor from tarragon and fennel seed. 09 of 18 Smothered Green Beans Greg Dupree; Food Stylist: Emily Neighbors Hall; Prop Stylist: Audrey Davis Recipe: Smothered Green Beans What exactly are these green beans smothered in? How about thick-cut bacon, garlicky shallots, and a perfectly tangy tomato gravy. 10 of 18 Homemade Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Leeks Linda Puglies; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Homemade Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Leeks Swap out canned fried onions for crispy leeks to top your medley of greens. 11 of 18 Caramelized Coconut Green Beans Jennifer Causey Recipe: Caramelized Coconut Green Beans Now here's a green bean riff you won't soon forget. Whatever you do, don't even think about using dried flaked or shredded coconut—thinly sliced fresh or frozen coconut is the star here. 12 of 18 Bacon-Brussels Sprout-Green Bean Casserole VICTOR PROTASIO; PROP STYLING: GINNY BRANCH STELLING; FOOD STYLING: EMILY NABORS HALL Recipe: Bacon-Brussels Sprout-Green Bean Casserole The addition of brussels sprouts and bacon make this green bean medley a real side dish winner. 13 of 18 Lemon-Sauteed Green Beans Greg Dupree Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham Recipe: Lemon-Sauteed Green Beans Here we call for a minimal amount of ingredients that are designed to brighten up the crisp and lively veggie. Lemon and green beans go together like peas and carrots, and this recipe proves it. 14 of 18 Penne with Green Beans and Tomatoes Hector Sanchez Recipes: Penne with Green Beans and Tomatoes Add zing to your salads with fresh dill, or swap it for basil, mint, or parsley. For pasta, try using whole wheat for its earthy, toothsome quality; any kind will do. 15 of 18 Green Bean Lasagna Iain Bagwell; Styling: Heather Chadduck Recipe: Green Bean Lasagna Top this casserole with crushed buttery crackers and French fried onions and you will wonder how you ever enjoyed your green bean casserole any other way. This will be the update that will become your go-to family classic casserole for years to come. 16 of 18 Balsamic Green Beans with Pearl Onions Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: William Smith Recipe: Balsamic Green Beans with Pearl Onions Green beans, pearl onions, and balsamic vinegar come together to create this elegant side dish. 17 of 18 Southern-Style Green Beans Southern Living Recipe: Southern-Style Green Beans These salty and smoky green beans taste best alongside homemade Fried Chicken. 18 of 18 Green Beans with Garlic Photo: Jim Franco; Styling: Leslie Siegel Recipe: Green Beans with Garlic Sauté fresh garlic to jazz up this simple yet delicious side dish. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit