These Fresh Green Beans with Bacon are very tasty because they are cooked in a rich broth with smokey bacon, savory onions, and fragrant garlic. They are easy to make ahead of time, so they’ll be a great side dish for any meal, whether it’s a holiday dinner or a weeknight meal.
Fresh green beans with bacon are a classic side dish that is served at Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas dinner with this recipe. We make these Green Beans Almondine during the week (with lemon juice and almonds in a large skillet) but this is our favorite recipe for special events.
It all started when my dads sister, Aunt Cindy, shared the recipe with my husbands sister, Cheri. Now it is a whole family favorite that Cheri brings for every holiday dinner table. I just love when family traditions make their way from one side of the family to the other.
I also like to make this for our Family Football Sundays when I am smoking ribs or brisket. They taste like the green beans you get at a southern BBQ joint. They go well with grilled chicken or pork tenderloin, too.
When serving fresh green beans, it can be tricky to know exactly how much to make per person. You want to ensure you have enough to satisfy everyone without having loads of leftovers. So what is the right amount of fresh green beans per serving?
Below we’ll look at recommended portion sizes for fresh green beans based on different factors. With these guidelines, you can confidently plan the perfect quantity whether serving as a side dish or main course.
Recommended Serving Size
As a rule of thumb for a side dish plan on providing
- 1/2 cup of fresh green beans per person
This translates to around 4-6 medium whole green beans per serving
When served as part of a main dish or full meal, you may want to increase the portion to:
- 3/4 cup fresh green beans per person
Around 6-8 whole beans per serving.
These serving sizes provide a satisfying amount of green beans without overdoing it. Adjust portions based on appetites and whether you’ll have other vegetable sides.
Factors That Impact Serving Size
Several factors can influence appropriate green bean serving sizes:
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Meal type – Side dishes warrant smaller servings than main courses.
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Other dishes – Account for all menu items so plates aren’t overloaded.
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Appetites – Larger portions for hearty eaters.
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Leftovers – Size servings to finish the batch without waste.
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Cooking method – Roasted or grilled beans may warrant more per serving.
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Kids’ portions – Serve children smaller half-cup amounts.
Consider all these elements when menu planning and prep.
Serving Size for Common Recipes
Here are some typical per person fresh green bean amounts for popular recipes:
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Green bean salad – 1/2 cup
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Green bean casserole – 3/4 cup
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Roasted green beans – 1/2 cup
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Green bean soup – 1 cup
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Green bean stir fry – 1/2 to 3/4 cup
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Green bean fries – 15-20 whole beans
Again, adjust portions up or down based on menu composition, leftovers, etc.
Serving Size Guidelines
To summarize key fresh green bean serving size guidelines:
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Default per person side dish portion: 1/2 cup
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Main dish or if only vegetable: 3/4 cup
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Roast or grill slightly more – 1/2 to 3/4 cup
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Soups and stews: 1 cup
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Kids portions: 1/4 to 1/2 cup
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Size for finishing without leftovers
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Account for other dishes so plates aren’t overloaded
With these handy benchmarks in mind, you can confidently prep the perfect amount of fresh green beans for any occasion.
Serving Fresh Green Beans
Beyond getting the portion size right, here are some tips for serving fresh green beans:
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Choose vibrant, evenly sized beans for uniform cooking.
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Wash and trim ends before cooking.
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Cook until tender-crisp using steaming, sautéing, etc.
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Toss with seasoning like garlic, herbs, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
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Serve hot, room temp, or chilled per recipe.
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Garnish with ingredients like chopped nuts, cheese, or bacon.
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Weigh or measure portions for consistency.
Taking a bit of extra time to thoughtfully prepare and portion fresh green bean servings can go a long way in delighting your dinner guests.
Get the Most From Your Fresh Green Beans
When purchased fresh and made part of delicious recipes like salads, casseroles and more, green beans can be a budget-friendly and healthy vegetable option. With the serving size insights above, you can take the guesswork out of how much to buy and prep. Just adjust portions based on your menu, appetites and preparation method for perfect green bean servings every time.
For a crowd
The first thing you need to do when making fresh green beans for a lot of people is to choose how many recipes to make. 1 pound of green beans serves 6 people. If it is a holiday meal with lots of other sides, it will probably serve 8.
Next, choose an appropriately sized pot. If you want to mix more than one recipe at once, you’ll need a very large pot. A little too big is better than too small.
You can make these ahead of time and then serve them to a large group. It doesn’t matter how many people you’re serving. Read below in the FAQ section for two different prep ahead options.
My sister-in-law has come up with a tried-and-true way to make sure that 6–10 pounds of green beans are ready just in time for dinner. She cooks the bacon and onions the day before. After putting the sweet potatoes or scalloped potatoes in the oven, she puts the pot on the stove and adds the water. She boils them and then steams them the way it says to. When the rest of dinner is ready, she covers them and takes them off the heat. The whole process takes about 45 – 60 minutes since it is such a large amount.
How to cook fresh green beans with bacon
This is a super easy recipe. No need for sautéed green beans, an ice bath, or a complicated cooking process. Yay!.
The beginning of this recipe starts as all good recipes should. by cooking chopped bacon over medium heat in a large pot until it is almost crispy. It might be better for our health if we don’t begin every recipe this way, but I really wish we could!
When you add the onion, if you go too far with the bacon, it will burn. But if you don’t let it cook long enough, the bacon will never get crispy. To be safe, you can cook the bacon until it’s crispy and then use a slotted spoon to move it to a paper towel. Leave the bacon grease in the pan.
I like to leave the bacon in the pan until it’s almost crispy and then add the chopped onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the onion is soft. If you take out the bacon that’s already cooked before adding the onions and garlic, make sure you add it back in before moving on to the next step.
Next, add in the green beans and water and stir. Bring it to a boil with the lid on. When it starts to boil, turn off the heat right away (without opening the lid) and let the beans steam for at least 10 minutes. Once the green beans are soft, mix them well and keep them warm until it’s time to serve.
How To Prepare Fresh Green Beans
FAQ
How many green beans do I need for 8 people?
How many people will 1 pound of green beans serve?
What is one serving of fresh green beans?
How many lbs of beans per person?