If you need a perfect holiday side dish, look no further than these Southern smothered country green beans

Southerners make the best side dishes. They’re rarely healthy, but they’re always delicious.

This recipe for smothered country green beans is no exception. Chef Kevin Callaghan of Acme Food & Beverage Co. in Carrboro, N.C., is the mad genius behind the dish.

“We had the beans, Senator Russell’s Sweet Potato Casserole, turkey, stuffing, and sliced canned cranberry sauce,” Callaghan told “Garden & Gun” of his family’s Thanksgiving table. “Other newfangled things would make appearances, but the big five were always there.”

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The secret to these green beans is bacon fat. And, as we’ve said time and time again, bacon improves everything.

You will need:

• ½ cup bacon fat
• 2 cups shallots or sweet onion, thinly sliced
• 3 pounds fresh green beans, strings removed, snapped into ½-inch pieces
• 1 quart chicken stock
• Salt and pepper

Get the full recipe from “Garden & Gun.”

More delectable side dishes

• A Thanksgiving classic — creamed pearl onions
• Gorgeous autumn salad that’ll make kids want to eat vegetables
• Sweet balsamic Brussels sprouts with Parmesan
• Divine creamed corn that’s made in a slow cooker
• Classic sweet potato casserole with marshmallows
• Lemony roasted broccoli that’ll even win over broccoli haters

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