If green beans dressed up as cheesy garlic bread, they would become these Parmesan roasted green beans. Tossed in garlic and black pepper and showered with cheese, this simply irresistible side will steal the spotlight at every holiday table.
Sprinkling a thin layer of mozzarella over the shredded Parmesan gives you the same bubbling melted cheese vibe that you get from the top of your favorite cheese pizza, while a quick (closely monitored!) stint under the broiler helps the cheese melt and caramelize quickly and evenly without overcooking the beans underneath.
Read on for more tips on this cheesy green bean side dish. Looking for more veggies? Check out this roasted cauliflower.
Can I use canned or frozen green beans instead of fresh?
We love giving the thumbs up to substitutions whenever possible, but in this case, we don’t recommend it. Both canned and frozen green beans are cooked when you get them—and they’re also basically drowned in water, which is the enemy of the deep browning that this recipe is all about. Try to substitute either, and you’ll end up with a sheet pan of soggy, overcooked green beans: hardly delicious. If you’re working with canned green beans, use them where they can truly shine, like in this classic green bean casserole.
Why are we using mozzarella cheese?
This recipe is all about the Parmesan, so at first glance, it might seem weird to add mozzarella to the mix. While mozzarella doesn’t offer much flavor, it has this one-of-a-kind ability to melt and stretch into a bubbling caramelized blanket of cheese that holds everything together (if you need proof, check out this eggplant Parm dip). In this case, it serves as the bridge between the green beans and the Parmesan, bringing the two together in perfect cheesy harmony.
Made this? Let us know how it went in the comments below.