Paula Deen Green Beans with New Potatoes

Paula Deen green beans with new potatoes turn fresh green beans, salt pork and small red potatoes into a tender Southern side dish in 1 hour 25 minutes. This one-pot Southern comfort food side fits Sunday dinner, church supper and the holiday table, and it easily feeds a crowd of 10.

Cook the beans for a full 30 minutes before the potatoes go in, because that slow start lets them soak up the salt pork and bacon grease. Add everything at once and the potatoes turn to mush before the beans are tender.

Paula peels a strip around the center of each small red potato, so they cook evenly and keep their skins from splitting in the pot. She also tilts the lid for the last 15 minutes, which cooks off the extra broth and leaves the beans wilted and glossy instead of watery.

Paula Deen Green Beans with New Potatoes

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Course: Side DishCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Easy

Servings

10

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

10

minutes

Calories

220

kcal

Green beans simmer low and slow in salt pork and bacon grease until soft and savory, with whole red potatoes steamed tender on top. Butter melts in at the end, so the little bit of broth left turns into a silky pot liquor.

Ingredients

• 1/2 stick sliced Butter
  

• 1 cut into slivers onion
  

• 12 small red potatoes
  

• 2 to 3 teaspoons Paula Deen's House Seasoning
  

• 2 cups plus more if needed chicken broth
  

• 1/4 cup bacon grease
  

• 1/4 lb sliced salt pork
  

• 3 lbs fresh green beans
  

• to taste Pepper
  

Directions

• Prep the beans: Remove the ends from 3 pounds of green beans and snap them in two. Then rinse them in a colander and set them aside to drain.
• Brown the salt pork: Lightly brown 1/4 pound sliced salt pork in 1/4 cup bacon grease in a large cast-iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Turn it often for about 10 minutes so it browns evenly without burning.
• Simmer the beans: Toss the green beans into the pot and stir with a wooden spoon until they are coated in the pork fat. Then add 2 cups chicken broth and 2 to 3 teaspoons House Seasoning. Cover tightly and cook over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes, until the beans are half done.
• Peel the potatoes: While the beans cook, peel a strip from the center of each of the 12 small red potatoes with a potato peeler. That helps them cook evenly and hold their shape.
• Add potatoes and onion: At the 30-minute mark, add the potatoes and the slivered onion to the pot, plus 1/4 cup more broth if it looks dry. Cook covered for 25 to 30 minutes until the potatoes are tender, checking now and then so a small amount of liquid stays in the pot.
• Finish uncovered: Tilt the lid slightly off to one side once the potatoes are tender and cook about 15 minutes more, until the beans are wilted. Then add 1/2 stick sliced butter and season with pepper to taste.

Tools for this recipe

• Lodge 6-quart enameled Dutch oven, OXO swivel vegetable peeler, OXO wooden spoon set. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use bacon instead of salt pork?

Yes, thick-cut bacon works if you can't find salt pork, though the flavor will be a little smokier and less salty. Brown it the same way in the bacon grease, then taste before adding more House Seasoning.

Why do the potatoes have a strip peeled off?

Peeling a strip around the middle of each potato keeps the skin from splitting while it simmers and lets the seasoned broth soak in. It also gives the potatoes a neat look when you scoop them into the serving bowl.

How do I store leftover green beans and potatoes?

Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge with some of the pot liquor, and reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of broth. I'd eat them within a few days, since the beans keep softening as they sit.

Can I make this ahead for a holiday meal?

You can cook it a day ahead and reheat it slowly in the Dutch oven on low heat. The beans will be even softer, and the flavor deepens overnight, so it works well for a busy holiday table.

What's the most common mistake with this dish?

Cooking it too fast over high heat is the biggest one, because the liquid boils off before the beans soften. Keep the heat at medium-low, keep the lid on tight, and add a splash of broth if the pot runs dry.