Garlic Parmesan Green Beans

If you're looking for big flavor with just a little bit of effort, try this garlic Parmesan green beans recipe tonight. It's super easy to make for a quick weeknight side dish, but it's also special enough for a dinner or holiday party, which, admittedly, is our favorite kind of recipe.

You'll find that it's easy to double or even triple this green beans recipe if you have a big group coming for dinner and need to scale up. The result is a tender and garlicky green bean with a touch of savory cheesiness (thanks to the Parmesan) and a heartiness that will keep you coming back for seconds (that's from the bacon).

What To Look For When Buying Green Beans

Whether at the supermarket or farmers' market, you want to look for green beans that are bright green and crisp. Green beans are best when in season, which happens during summer and early fall.

If you're shopping and see haricot verts, and think, "Aren't those just green beans with a fancy name?" you're not wrong. Haricot verts are a French variety of green beans; they are typically longer and thinner, which make them very tender and delicate. You can use them as you would regular green beans, but they tend to cook faster, so keep an eye on them in the oven.

How To Trim Green Beans

The easiest way to trim green beans is to line them up on a cutting board and slice off the stem end that once connected the bean pod to the rest of the plant. You're probably familiar with snapping off the ends, but the slicing method is faster.

Only trim your beans when ready to cook, because the end can dry out if trimmed too far in advance. This is why you should avoid buying pre-trimmed beans at the grocery store; you'll end up trimming the dried bits off anyhow. While you can flip the beans and trim the wispy ends as well, they are edible and can be quite pretty to keep in a dish.

Ingredients for Garlic Parmesan Green Beans

Aside from the green beans, you'll need:

• Garlic: For loads of flavor.
• Olive oil: To make roasting the green beans easier.
• Salt and pepper: To finish the flavor.
• Shredded Parmesan cheese: The more aged the Parmesan you select, the more intense the flavor, so select a cheese that suits your palate.
• Bacon: Thin or thick-cut both work, it's up to you. If you want to get fancy, substitute bacon with pancetta, an unsmoked and cured pork belly product from Italy that is similar to bacon, but slightly different in flavor.

How To Make Garlic Parmesan Green Beans

The full recipe for these easy green beans recipe is below, but here's a brief recap:

• Season: Combine green beans, garlic, oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl, tossing to coat. Arrange the green beans in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Bake: Bake in a 450°F oven until green beans are tender, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Sprinkle green beans with Parmesan, and continue to bake until the cheese has melted, about 1 minute.
• Finish: Remove the green beans from the oven and sprinkle with bacon. Serve immediately.

Variations for Garlic Parmesan Green Beans

Minced shallot, red pepper flakes, or a drizzle of your favorite vinaigrette (after baking) are all great ways to add flavor to these green beans.

You can also play with the recipe. If you like the bacon bits in this recipe, you could try combining them with bread crumbs, for a crunchy green bean topping that happens to be a great way to use up stale bread. You could serve the green beans almondine style, a French preparation that garnishes them with crunchy almonds, lemon, and browned butter.

Ways To Serve Garlic Parmesan Green Beans

The dish goes great with any proteins in your cookbook, but it's especially nice alongside a roast chicken. You can also pair it with lemon-garlic salmon for a fresh take on a classic dinnertime duo. When the holiday season rolls around, these green beans would make an excellent Thanksgiving side or Christmas ham accompaniment.

How To Store Leftover Green Beans

If this side dish wasn't snapped up, transfer any leftovers to an airtight container, and store up to 3 days in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave, or use an air fryer or oven to try and regain some of the crispness. Don't overcook the, however. They'll turn mushy quick.

If they do get too soft for you liking, chop them up and add them to a salad or frittata where the flavor will have a huge impact and the texture won't matter so much.

Editorial contributions by: Alana Al-Hatlani.