Creamed Lima Beans with Bacon

Creamed lima beans enriched with smoky bacon.... the perfect side dish for a Southern-style holiday dinner. 

Pair these creamed lima beans with roast turkey, sweet potato mac and cheese, and some corn bread stuffing for a dinner that will please your family and your guests. Finish your meal with a piece of sweet potato pie and everyone will go to bed very happy. 

Ingredient Notes:

These beans require very few ingredients and everything is easy to find. You just need some frozen lima beans, bacon, onion, chicken broth, heavy cream, and butter. 

To season the beans, all you need is some dried tarragon, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. 

The beans are simmered with the bacon, onion, tarragon, and seasonings, and then are simmered at the end with the cream before adding the butter. 

Tips for Making these Lima Beans:

I used the smaller lima beans. If you use the larger Fordhook lima beans, you may have to adjust the timing just a little. 

First, cook the bacon in a 3-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan until cooked through, and then add the onions and sauté them until they are softened. 

Next, add the lima beans and cook them until they are slightly browned. Add the broth and seasonings and simmer the beans, covered, for about 10 minutes. 

After that, boil the beans uncovered for about 5 minutes before adding the cream and letting the beans boil for another two minutes before adding some butter. 

This recipe can easily be doubled. Just use a 4-quart saucepan. 

Lima beans are super nutritious and high in protein, fiber, and iron. They are indigenous to the western hemisphere, originating Peru. Evidently butter beans are part of the lima bean family too. 

For this recipe, you can substitute any kind of pork for the bacon, including ham, prosciutto, or even leftover pork from last night's dinner. Just add some oil or bacon fat if necessary to replace the fat that is generated by frying the bacon. 

Welcome to Holiday Side Dish Week 2022 hosted by Heather from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks. This year we have over 45 side dishes to help you plan your holiday meals.

Friday Holiday Side Dish Recipes:

• Cauliflower & Carrot Gratin from An Affair from the Heart
• Creamed Lima Beans with Bacon from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Deviled Potatoes from A Little Fish in the Kitchen
• Homemade Sausage and Herb Stuffing Recipe from Blogghetti
• Loaded Cauliflower Casserole from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Mushroom and Wild Rice Casserole from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Orange-Glazed Green Beans and Butternut Squash from The Spiffy Cookie
• Homemade Egg Noodles in Chicken Broth from Art of Natural Living
• Smoked Baked Beans with Bacon and Jalapenos from Our Good Life
• Stovetop Spicy Sweet Potatoes from Magical Ingredients
• Sweet and Spicy Roasted Broccoli from A Day in the Life on the Farm

Creamed Lima Beans with Bacon

Yield: 6 servings

Author: Karen's Kitchen Stories

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 40 Min

Creamed lima beans enriched with smoky bacon.... the perfect side dish for a Southern-style holiday dinner.

Ingredients

• 4 strips bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1/3 cup diced onion
• 12 ounces frozen lima beans, thawed
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 5 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon salted butter

Instructions

1. Sauté the bacon pieces in a 3 to 4 quart saucepan until fully cooked but not overly crispy. Add the chopped onions and cook, over medium heat, for 3 to 4 minutes, until tender. Add the lima beans and cook, stirring often, until the beans are slightly browned, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the chicken broth, the tarragon, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper, and stir. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. The beans should be slightly tender.
3. Remove the pan lid and raise the heat to medium, and boil for about 5 minutes. Add the cream, stir, and continue to boil for 2 to 3 minutes, until the liquid is reduced. Turn off the heat, add the butter, and stir until the butter has melted.
4. Serve right away. Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

193.98

Fat (grams)

12.59

Sat. Fat (grams)

6.09

Carbs (grams)

13.71

Fiber (grams)

4.18

Net carbs

9.54

Sugar (grams)

2.63

Protein (grams)

7.22

Sodium (milligrams)

432.71

Cholesterol (grams)

30

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2022/11/creamed-lima-beans-with-bacon.html

Karen's Kitchen Stories

lime beans

side dish

Southern

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Recipe adapted from Tupelo Honey Cafe: New Southern Flavors from the Blue Ridge Mountains, publshed 2014. 

This is volume two of three volumes. 

Volume 1 is Spirited Recipes from Asheville's New South Kitchen. 

Volume 3 is Southern Spirit and Small Plates.