A healthy and tasty side dish that goes from the fridge to the table in under 30 minutes.
Hi there! It’s been a while, I know. This is a super busy time of year at work, and by the time I get home, make dinner, work out (0n a good day), shower and clean up…I’m ready for bed. But! I’m still cooking and coming up with lots of fun ideas to share, so stay tuned.
This recipe for oven roasted green beans has been a life saver over the past few busy busy busy months. It’s not often that I will finish my veggies before anything else on my plate (I’m looking at you, carbs), but these green beans are just so.darn.tasty. They are roasted at a high, but not too high, temperature for 20-30 minutes. This is longer than you might think a skinny old green bean needs to cook through, but the extra time in the oven makes the magic happen. No sad, soggy green beans here. They emerge from the oven toasted, nutty, crispy and (my personal preference) just south of burnt. If fruit is at its’ ripest right before it goes bad, these green beans are at their most delicious just before they burn. But fear not. There’s plenty of water in fresh green beans, so they will not go up in smoke while you’re busy tending to the rest of dinner. You’ve got a little wiggle room here. Like I said, a life saver.
I’ve been making a conscious effort over the past few months to eat a more wholesome diet, and this recipe has played an integral part. On Sunday afternoons, I’ll roast a pan of these, a pan of diced sweet potatoes and a bunch of seasoned chicken breasts to have for lunch throughout the week. On a busy weeknight, I can prep them and toss them in the oven in the time it takes to grill some turkey sausage or some other protein. And I have no shame in eating them cold straight out of the fridge. Green beans as snack food = a win.
To prepare these quick roasted green beans, you’ll need a pound of fresh green beans. If they are thick and the ends tough, trim them. I’ve been buying “French beans” at Costco and find that the ends are perfectly fine as they are. I like to line a half sheet pan with foil for easy clean up. Place the green beans on the pan and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Throw in some garlic powder if you’re feeling crazy. Roast at 425 degrees for 20-30 minutes, depending on the thickness of the beans. Toss once halfway through cooking and remove from the oven when they have become browned and crispy in spots. Of course, you can cook them as long as you like, but I really do urge you to cook until well browned. If you’d like, you can finish with lemon zest or juice, or a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. One final note- if making extra for meal prep, I would use two half sheet pans, as overcrowding the beans will make it hard for them to brown.
You’d better believe I ate that whole bowl as soon as I finished taking pictures. 🙂
Quick Roasted Green Beans
A healthy and tasty side dish that goes from fridge to table in 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 lb green beans, cleaned and trimmed, if necessary
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425. Place green beans on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle oil over green beans and add salt and pepper. Toss until green beans are evenly coated with oil. Spread green beans in single layer.
Roast green beans in oven 20-30 minutes, tossing halfway through. The green beans are done when they are browned and slightly charred. Don’t be tempted to take them out too early- the magic happens when they start to brown.
Serves 3-4
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