GREEN BEANS AND POTATOES
Green beans and potatoes is one of my favorite side dishes. I grew up on this dish. I remember when my mother cooked fresh green beans and potatoes straight from the garden seasoned with a ham hock and we could not get enough. They were just that good! Mama used pork jowl and salt pork or just plain bacon as seasonings in any kind of beans she made for us.
Green Beans and Potatoes Ingredients Needed
Fresh, frozen or canned green beans (If fresh, remove ends and break into pieces and wash the beans)
Red potatoes, cut in pieces (I have made this using any kind of potatoes)
Chicken broth or 1 (14.5 ounce) can (You don’t have to use the chicken broth. I just think it makes them better)
Ham hock (Can use cooked ham, bacon, pork jowl or salt pork about a half cup, chopped)
Water
Black pepper
Salt
Onion (Optional)
Minced garlic (Optional)
You can add a couple teaspoons bacon drippings if you are just using ham. This will add flavor to the beans. Green beans ham and potatoes is a classic combination but you can use other seasoning meat. We make this dish all the time and use what every seasoning meat we have on hand. We recently updated the photos on this dish and we used thick cut bacon and bacon drippings.
Recently I posted these on Facebook and a great debate broke out about why you would ever cook green beans this long. This individual had never had them and couldn’t understand.. but I assure you this is the way we love green beans. Slow cooked and they become very tender, not mushy and they potatoes are perfect. The “pot likker” aka.. the liquid leftover from cooking the beans is so good to dip your cornbread in! Delicious and one of the reasons we love this dish so much.
Tips for these delicious green beans:
- If you using canned green beans you want to drain them. The chicken broth and water is the liquid you want to be the main players in this recipe.
- If cooking on the stove I bring them to a boil, turn to simmer or low and cover. You could cook uncovered but covering keeps the liquid from cooking out of the pot. Either way, just make sure you don’t let them cook dry.
- Slow cooking these beans is what makes this dish! Don’t rush the process and they are even better the next day so you can easily make this dish in advance or eat on it for a few days.
This dish goes great with our Brown Sugar Meatloaf!
Are you reading our digital magazine, Front Porch Life? It’s full of great new recipes, country living, fantastic people, southern charm, cooking tips and so much more. We send it directly to your email so you can start reading, cooking and relaxing immediately! This is our premium content not found on our website. Join 1000’s of others today and start enjoying our magazine!
Green Beans and Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 lbs fresh, frozen or canned green beans (If fresh, remove ends and break into pieces and wash the beans)
- 6 or 7 red potatoes cut in pieces (I have made this using any kind of potatoes)
- 1 to 2 cups chicken broth or 1 14.5 ounce can (You don't have to use the chicken broth. I just think it makes them better)
- 1 ham hock Can use cooked ham, bacon, pork jowl or salt pork about a half cup, chopped
- 2 to 3 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup finely diced onion Optional
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic Optional
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a large pot, bring to a boil, then turn to medium low and cook about 1 1/2 hours until potatoes are done and water has cooked down. You can also do this in the crockpot and let cook on low 6 to 7 hours or high 4 hours.
Notes
Click here to follow us on Instagram.
© The Southern Lady Cooks photos and text – All rights reserved. No copying, posting on other sites, or other uses allowed without written permission of the copyright holder.
