These green beans with cranberries, bacon and goat cheese are a healthy addition to your Thanksgiving table that doesn’t skimp on flavor.
Eating healthy on Thanksgiving is probably one of the last things I’m concerned with but honestly, the marshmallow studded sweet potatoes and creamy, god-knows-what-kind-of canned-soup casseroles do nothing for me.
I’d much rather some veggies dressed up for the occasion but still recognizable as a vegetable.
Looking for healthier Thanksgiving ideas? Check out my post for 100 Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes.
And when it comes to green beans, overcooked, mushy or god forbid, from a can (gasp!) are just not gonna cut it. I like them kind of like I like my pasta, al dente.
Cooked yes, but they need to still have a bit of a bite to them.
So let’s talk about what’s going on in this perfect-for-Thanksgiving side dish.
First we’re sautéing the green beans in bacon grease. No blanching necessary.
I really hate blanching vegetables it’s just another pot to clean and it annoys me how long it takes to boil water for them only to be in there for like a minute so I avoid this cooking method at all costs.
Not to mention, it’s just unnecessary because you can throw a lid on a skillet and steam them – a much quicker approach and dish clean up stays at 1.
If the lovely flavor the bacon grease imparts hasn’t convinced you, we then add fresh cranberries to the mix because 1. they’re festive and 2. their tart punch goes lovely with the salty bacon we crumble on top.
Goat cheese is the last element and I love how it softens and adds just a little bit of creamy texture to the dish.
Feta crumbles would be great too if you’re not a fan of goat cheese.
There’s really nothing complicated about these Thanksgiving green beans.
In fact, the dish comes together in under 20 minutes.
But, there’s something about the finished dish that makes it feel fancier than your normal dinner fare.
It’s got the elegance for a holiday meal (it’d be great for Christmas dinner too!) with the ease of a weeknight dinner side dish – kinda the best of both worlds.
And one more win for the Thanksgiving crowd – it doesn’t take up precious oven space since it’s made all on the stove-top.
You can even make this ahead of time and just warm up right before dinner if you wanted to (see the note in the recipe for that).
Looking for a good summer time green bean recipe? You must try these simple grilled green beans.
If I could just eat those in the summer and these all the cold weather months, I’d be a happy gal!
Below is a fun sample Thanksgiving menu these green beans with cranberries, bacon and goat cheese would go well with. Enjoy!
Tart Cherry Chestnut Stuffed Turkey Roulade
5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce
Pumpkin Corn Muffins
Chestnut Stuffing
Creamy Cauliflower Pumpkin Mash
Golden Beet Gratin
Paleo Chocolate Pecan Tart
Green Beans with Cranberries, Bacon and Goat Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 pounds green beans, washed and trimmed
- 6 slices bacon
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside but leave the grease in the pan.
- Add the green beans to the pan with the bacon grease. (*see note) Sauté for 3-5 minutes, tossing occasionally until the green beans start to "char". At this point, cover the skillet with a lid and let steam for another 5-7 minutes.
- Remove the lid, add the cranberries and sauté for another 2 minutes until the cranberries are warmed through and starting to burst. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Plate the green beans with the cranberries, crumble the goat cheese and bacon on top and serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
Oh, yeah. This is what I want on my Thanksgiving table…no marshmallows, no gloppy soup as an ingredient. And gorgeous as well as delicious!! Brava!
What a gorgeous fall side dish! This looks so incredibly scrumptious and easy. I love it, Gina! Your photos are so beautiful, too.
Bacon, cranberries AND goat cheese??? It’s like all of my favorite things. Totally in love.
Looks so Yummy!! All my favorites in one! Does this mean I get to skip making cranberry sauce this year…hehehe…
Bacon grease makes the world go ’round. And still I love that these are purdy darn healthy. I mean, like you said – at least you can tell that it’s a vegetable, which I an’t say much else for a traditional side dish on Turkey Day hahah GORGEOUS
Um please bring this to my house…. like now ;)
At least you sautéed them in bacon grease ;) Points for that. So glad you found the missing diamond!
These beans are gorgeous!! I like a good green bean casserole, but we make ours from scratch, so it is a little more recognizable :) The soup version is just kind of nasty and mushy! Thanks for joining me today!
These are gorgeous!!!
Looks really nice!!