What to Serve with Green Beans
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Whether you open up a can of french green beans or make a pot of fresh green beans, this versatile veggie is a great side to almost any main dish. With so many options, you might need help deciding what to serve with green beans. I put together a list below of 15 different main course recipes that are perfect to eat with green beans.
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No matter what your favorite green bean recipes are, they will work with any of these meals as a perfect healthy side dish. With anything from casseroles, to a steak dinner, to a holiday feast, green beans usually fit right in. Try one of the recipes below for delicious, flavorful meals the next time you make green beans.
Here are 15 great options for main courses to serve with a tasty side dish of green beans!
1. Spicy Sausage Pasta
Regular green beans are light and refreshing, so they make the perfect side dish for a heavier pasta meal. This spicy sausage pasta is a quick 30-minute meal made with Rotel and turkey sausage. Green beans are a quick side dish, so they’re a perfect pair.
2. Pasta with Homemade Alfredo Sauce
Tossing pasta with a fast and easy homemade alfredo sauce is a tasty dinner that is quick, easy, and heavy so it works great with a fresh and easy side dish like green beans.
3. Baked Chicken Tenderloins
Fresh veggies like green beans pair perfectly with any meat. These baked marinated chicken tenderloins are no exception. Add a side of roasted sweet potatoes or mushroom risotto with the green beans for a well-rounded meal!
4. Oven-Baked Pork Chops
Baked pork chops go perfectly with green beans on the side. I love serving them with Southern-style green beans but you could use any variety alongside the chops.
5. Turkey Stuffed Peppers
Stuffed peppers have meat, cheese, and the sweet bell peppers but serving them with a side of green beans just adds more healthy veggies to the menu! This stuffed pepper recipe is made with ground turkey instead of ground beef and leaves out the rice for a lighter version of the original recipe.
6. Lasagna
Lasagna is the ultimate comfort food and this recipe made with no-boil boodles is the best version we’ve ever tried. The secret is using both beef and sausage and adding pesto to the layers for extra flavor!
7. Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf
Green beans just belong with meatloaf. I think it’s a rule, actually. Seriously, green beans are one of the best side dishes for meatloaf, especially when it is meatloaf stuffed with ooey-gooey cheese!
8. Country Fried Chicken
Classic country fried chicken with a rich country white gravy, like meatloaf, just automatically brings a veggie dish like green beans to mind. Add to that some mashed potatoes and gravy and you’ve got a complete meal.
9. Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
Some fresh roasted green beans would make a great tasting side dish with this creamy Tuscan chicken pasta. This pasta only takes 30 minutes and a handful of ingredients.
This is another heavy pasta that your taste buds will love and will pair great with the fresh flavors of green beans with a little sea salt.
10. Spanish Chicken and Rice
This one-pan is inexpensive and easy and packed with flavor! Roast green beans with parmesan cheese while this skillet dinner cooks for a simple meal. Even if you prefer different ways to make your green beans, it’s a great way to get a side of veggies in with this flavorful recipe.
11. Chicken and Dumplings
This is another one-pan meal that cooks on the stovetop and frees up your oven during the cooking process for the best green bean recipes like from-scratch green bean casserole.
12. Pasta Carbonara
This fifteen-minute easy pasta recipe is perfect for serving with green beans almondine. Simply start the green beans when you start your pasta water. The fresh crisp green beans with crunchy almonds are a great accompaniment to the lighter pasta dish.
13. Homestyle Reames Chicken and Noodles
This chicken and noodles recipe (NOT chicken noodle soup) is the ultimate comfort food. The egg noodles and chicken are coated in a thick creamy sauce making them the perfect dish to serve with lighter green beans to add some green veggies to your meal.
14. Shrimp and Grits
Shrimp and grits are the perfect meal to serve alongside our southern-style green beans. Both are Low Country classic recipes straight from South Carolina.
15. Instant Pot Beef Tips
You can pair these beef tips with rice, pasta, or whipped mashed potatoes. Add a side of vegetables with your favorite green beans recipe.