When Bobby and I got married there were two dishes that he had made for himself quite often in college and brought into our kitchen. One was pinto bean burritos and the other was a pot of fresh green beans and potatoes. Both dishes are still with us today, but both have been gussied up a bit. To the green beans and potato dish we’ve added a deconstructed pesto to enhance the original salt and pepper seasoning, and sometimes we’ll top it with a protein to make a full meal. Usually that protein is …….
wait for it, ……..
wait for it…….
bacon! Of course bacon! However, we’ve also used leftover grilled flank steak as well as smoked ham. Whatever meat we choose to use we cube it, then tossed it in with the beans and potatoes at the end right before adding the cheese.
Our normal way to serve this is just as a big bowl of delicious fresh green beans and potatoes with lots of fresh basil, and a few other special ingredients. When I make it for the two of us, I serve it as a meal. When I make it for guests, I serve it as a side. It’s hearty and has so many wonderful flavors that it will have you going MMMMMMMMM.
Green Beans and Potatoes
A very hearty dish that can be served as a side or an entree. If you don't mind a little meat, add some bacon or smoked ham toward the end for another layer of flavor.
*See Kitchen Notes for more information.
- 1 pound fresh green beans, snapped into 2” pieces
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 pound small to medium red potatoes, cut into 1 – 1 1/2" pieces
- 1 Tbsp. butter
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 3 Tbsp. toasted Pinon (pine nut) or chopped toasted pecans
- 5 large garlic cloves, sliced thin
- 2 cups loosely packed fresh basil, coarsely chopped
- ½ cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
- Salt and pepper to taste
The green beans and potatoes are cooked together in the same pot of water.
- Fill a 4 quart sauce pan with water. Add ½ tsp. salt. Bring to a boil.
Add the beans and potatoes. Reduce heat to a slow boil.
Cook until beans are crisp tender about 6 – 8 minutes. The potatoes should be done as well*.
Remove beans and potatoes from water using a slotted spoon. You can toss the water or save it for another use.*
- Rinse and dry sauce pan.
- Using the same sauce pan, heat olive oil and butter over medium-low heat.
When butter is melted, add nuts and garlic. Sauté until nuts and garlic are toasted light brown. Keep the heat low enough so that the butter won't burn.
- Add beans, potatoes, basil and salt and pepper to taste. Gentle toss all ingredients. Heat over medium high until heated through.
- Remove from heat. Stir in cheese and serve.
Green Beans – Fresh green beans are the only way to go with this dish. If desperate, I guess you could used canned, but if all you have it frozen, then don’t make this dish. The texture of frozen greens beans is just too disturbing and would actually ruin this dish.
Potatoes – Red potatoes are best because of their texture and low starch content. They hold up quite well to the double cooking and don’t fall apart or become gummy. Even though I love yellow and Yukon golds, they do tend to fall apart during the reheating process, so save them for mashed potatoes.
Pine nuts (Pinon) – If you don’t have pinon nuts, use pecans. I’ve used pecans many times and they complement the other flavors in this dish quite well. In fact, it’s a toss up as to which I like better – pinon or pecans?
Cheese – There are lots of choices here. We prefer Pecorino Romano or Manchego, but any other similar hard cheese works well. Softer cheeses such as cheddar or Monterey Jack have too low of a melting point so they don’t work so well.
Toppings – As I mentioned before, you can topped this dish with cooked, crumbled bacon, smoked ham, or seared little cubes of beef. Other proteins such as chicken, pork or tofu work as well; however, use small pieces and if you can make them crispy that would be best. The crispiness adds a nice texture to this dish. If you want, add them to the pot when you add the nuts and garlic.
Vegan Modification – Omit the butter and double the amount of olive oil. Eliminate the cheese or use a non-dairy cheese if you have one you like. Personally, I’ve never found a non-dairy cheese that I liked, but then I love cheese.
Deconstructed Pesto – I do love a good pesto, but to be honest, I love a deconstructed pesto better. It’s easier to make, not near as messy, and you get the texture of the nuts. Plus, you don’t need to use near the amount of oil. However, you could easily just scooped about 1/4 cup pesto in this dish instead.
Looking for more recipes for fresh green beans or a deconstructed pesto?
Another one of my favorite green bean recipes is this Cold Green Bean Salad with a French Mustard Vinaigrette from Masala Herb.
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G;day! What a lovely, healthy dish, true!
LOVE your peaceful and tranquil looking photo too!
Cheers! Joanne
Viewed as part of Your Best Recipes Sept
I love the story behind this dish that Bobby used to make this and now it still appears on the table! I don’t think my husband cooked before… thank goodness he picked up bbqing but other than that, he doesn’t have his signature meal.;) Love potatoes so I already like this dish and can imagine making it as soon as I grab green beans!
Thanks Nami! I was lucky that Bobby lived in an apartment for 4 years during college so he had to learn how to cook. He’s pretty good at it, too. 🙂 Hope you get a chance to make this dish. It’s quite tasty.
Delicious. Love this rewamped potato.Thanks for sharing with Hearth and Soul blog hop.
I love that you took a classic recipe of yours and let it evolve. This sounds so, so good! Your photos are gorgeous MJ, but that’s nothing new. Thanks for being a part of the YBR:)
Thanks so much Nancy and my pleasure for sharing with YBR!
Oh em gee, this is one seriously beautiful dish. I cannot even get over how pretty this is. I could have seen my dad digging this one. He was such a green bean lover. I need to try this one.
Love the idea of deconstructed pesto — this salad is royal!
I cannot believe I have missed such an extraordinary dish! Such simple ingredients but combined in such an unusual way! I would have never thought of putting all these together. Thank you for inspiration. I will definitely need it! Potatoes will soon become my friends, just like they do every autumn.
I love that you’ve called it deconstructed.. for all the flavors are definitely there, just intact:) This looks fabulous and perfect with the bacon.. at least in my humble opinion! xx
We do love bacon with it, but to be honest, we normally eat it without any meat component. It has so much flavor as it is.
What a lovely simple salad — and so pretty too (your earthenware dishes are beautiful). I’ve never thought of reverse engineering pesto 😉 but it’s so clever and allows you to enjoy the ingredients in their whole form. It’s true, you don’t really get to appreciate the texture of the pine nuts in pesto and they do add a lot to the experience. Very nice MJ.
Thanks Kelly! I actually prefer the deconstructed pesto. You eliminate the noise and the cleanup and get lots of texture!
Cheese is a great source of protein too.. .so more for me please. This is a simple yet very delicious dish.
Thanks Angie! Yes, you can always add more cheese!
I knew it has to be bacon! I was introduced to the Midwestern-style green beans & potatoes when I first visited Minnesota 8 years ago. They are comforting dishes, so I don’t mind the basic salt & butter seasoning. But once in a while, I do wish they could change it up a little bit:) Seeing your (and Bobby’s) version, I know I’d love this right away. The addition of pesto, pine nuts & basil can do great transformation to the regular dish. I know my Malaysian/Asian dressing to green beans & potatoes may be too different for some of the family members. Mark agrees with me there:) I have a good feeling that this will give them some good start for a change of flavor.
Thanks Reese! Normally on really good fresh vegetables, salt and pepper is all you need, but it does get old. And when you grow your own herbs, you need to use them. 🙂
Delicious combo and love the idea to make use of vegetable broth……
Thanks! I love using the broth in a winter soup.
No way, fresh green beans it would have to be! Canned are just… mush! It would ruin the dish definitely… I don’t even buy frozen ones so I can’t comment on how it might be *then*, but with fresh I can imagine it would be incredible.
I’m a big olive oil fan, so I might drizzle on a little more, but it sounds so simple and wholesome and delicious (looks beautiful too!).
Thanks so much Charles! Believe it or not but amount of oil and butter in this recipe is really more than enough, t just cut back for the photo. 🙂
I love basil with green beans. And, of course, i love bacon with anything!
I’m with you on the bacon Debra!
Fresh and delicious-looking. What a simple, hearty meal MJ!
Clever idea for the deconstructed pesto. Very cheffy. 😉
What a beautiful bowl of yum you got there. I would eat it by itself. It looks so hearty and filling. Really beautiful shot, MJ. Thank you. 🙂
Any dish that lasts that long is definitely one I want to try.
Of course it’s BACON!!! 🙂 My husband knows how to make spaghetti…
This sounds delicious! The pesto takes it up about a thousand notches! 🙂
Thanks Kate! 🙂 yes, the pesto does turn something relatively plain into something exciting and delicious.
My husband knows how to make one thing – pasta with marinara sauce. But even that doesn’t make an appearance at our dinner table all that often.:) Now this is an impressive dish. Major kudos to your husband. Potatoes and pesto are so good together. And with the beans, the dish look so vibrant! Fantastic dish MJ!
Thank Gomo! There are quite a few dishes that Bobby’ like to cook, and I love it when he cooks them! Of course he is the grill master. 🙂
Simple and delicious–I love it! Green beans and potatoes go together so well.
What a beautifully vibrant dish. I never paired basil with potatoes… but it sounds like a winner and a definite must try. 🙂
Thanks Ramona! Definitely a combination you need to try. I think you’ll like it.
Sounds wonderful, MJ…I love basil in any form and it’s wonderful with potatoes and beans!!!
Totally a dish worth carrying on and adapting. Just love anything deconstructed.
I am sure this can go as a meal in my family too! What a lovely dish and adding deconstructed pesto to this happy dish makes it more happier. Loved this idea and bacon in this would be just perfect!
Thanks! The bacon does complement it quite well!
I really like the idea of deconstructed pesto. For a lot of dishes it makes more sense than regular pesto, and you avoid too much oil. Great idea. As is this super dish! Green beans and potatoes are a wonderful combo. And I love the idea of either the bacon or the flank steak topping this dish so you can have a one-dish meal. Good stuff! Thanks.
Not only do you use less oil, you make less of I mess! :). Thanks John! It’s a keeper for sure.
I can’t believe you even mentioned canned green beans! Gasp! I adore fresh green beans – just love them!
Well, I had to offer one option. 🙂 Green beans and squash are definitely two vegetables that should only be eaten fresh.
“frozen greens beans is just too disturbing” ~ MJ, this made me laugh. Texture is a big deal to me, so I’m right there with ya. What a tasty, simple dish! With fresh green beans, of course. 😉
Thanks Judy! Yes, I’m not a frozen green bean fan. Glad to see I’m not alone. 🙂
I could eat green beans every day without ever getting tired of them. This is the perfect bowl of veggies. Yum!
Totally agree with eating green beans everyday! Wish I could find good ones during the off season. Thanks so much for your comments!
I love fresh and colorful dishes such as this one! Great recipe MJ!
Thanks Tessa! You have some very colorful and tasty dishes yourself!
What a delicious recipe! The idea of adding deconstructed pesto is a pretty fantastic addition:-) I love that you keep the recipe alive, and added more love to it over the years! Yum, Hugs, Terra
Thanks so much Terra! I think the deconstructed pesto came out of the fact that I was just too lazy to make pesto. I hate the cleanup.:)
I bet it is as delicious as it looks! I love potatoes AND green beans and will definitely give this a try. Lovely pictures, MJ.
It is! Thanks so much Rathai!
When we were dating, my husband cooked for me tuna with pasta and cabbage salad. That was the first and the last time I saw anything from his hands lol! This is a beautiful dish and I love how it evolved throughout the years!
That’s funny Katerina! I guess I was lucky that Bobby had lived in an apartment during college so he had to learn to cook. It came in handy when we first got married and I was still in school. He did a lot of cooking for us. Thanks for your comment and have a great day!
I make a similar dish using oregano instead of basil and no pine nuts. I can’t wait to try your version…it sounds great.
Thanks Karen! I’ll have to try oregano next time. I’ve used oregano with just green beans, but not with green beans and potatoes. Sounds great!