Parmesan Green Beans is a super simple, beautiful, and delicious side dish recipe that takes just minutes to prepare. It’s a great side dish for a roast chicken, meatloaf, or a holiday dinner. It adds color, texture, and flavor to your dinner plate.

Fresh green beans are best for this recipe, and they are luckily available year round. You can use frozen green beans if you’d like, but don’t use canned green beans. The color of canned beans is muted, and the texture is too soft.

When you buy fresh green beans, look for beans that are bright green, with no soft spots, mold, or damage. The beans should be firm when you squeeze them between your fingers. Buy the beans up to three days before you want to use them, and store them in the fridge.

You can use grated or shredded Parmesan cheese for this recipe. Grate or shred it yourself for the best flavor. But if you can find good quality pregrated or preshredded Parmesan, that’s fine.

How to make the best Parmesan Green Beans

• To prepare fresh beans, rinse them well, then dry them in paper towels. Snip off both ends of the beans. You can leave them whole, or cut them in half crosswise if you prefer.
• The beans are made on the stovetop. You simmer the beans in water with a little lemon juice added for flavor. Then when the beans are tender, you drain the beans and return them to the hot skillet. Heat with butter, then sprinkle with the cheese, heat for a bit, and serve.
• You can cook the beans ahead of time and chill them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to eat. Then just heat the beans in the microwave or in a skillet, top with the cheese, and serve.
• If you are using frozen beans, prepare them according to the package directions.