Fantastic Green Bean Bundles

A true side dish all-star, this green beans recipe is legendary in my family. It’s simple (canned or fresh beans work) and the flavor is undeniable – you can’t beat brown sugar and soy sauce when paired together. You get these little parcels of sticky, salty-sweet green beans, all wrapped up in smoky bacon, that are just perfect for entertaining … especially around the holidays.

Author: Lauren McDuffie
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Yield: Serves 6 to 8 people 1x
Category: Side Dishes
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 1/4 pounds fresh haricot vert or two 15-ounce cans whole green beans, drained and rinsed (see note)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari for gluten free)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 cup brown sugar
1 package bacon slices, cut into thirds

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Instructions

If you’re using fresh green beans, bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch the beans for about 30 seconds and then submerge them in ice water. This is worth doing because it will help the beans retain their lovely green color.
To create one bundle, arrange about 8-10 green beans together and wrap with a piece of the bacon, creating a little bundle of joy. Place it seam side-down in a large baking dish and repeat with the remaining green beans until they’ve all been used up (you may have some bacon left, which is never a problem, right?).
Combine the melted butter, soy sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and brown sugar. Pour this mixture over the bean and bacon bundles and allow it to marinate for one hour.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Season the pan of bundles with lots of freshly cracked black pepper. Bake the bean bundles on the center rack for 40 to 45 minutes until bubbling and hot.
To serve, carefully remove the bundles from the saucy tray (tongs work great), and transfer to a plate or platter (those drippings can live a second life as a killer warm bacon salad dressing if you don’t want to toss them, just saying. See my notes below). Serve warm.

Notes

1. This recipe works beautifully with either fresh or canned green beans, and I use both. The advantage the canned have is that you can skip right over the blanching/ice water pat of the program and just begin baking your bundles right away. But either way, you’ll wind up in the same place. Up to you!

2. If you just can’t bring yourself to toss those tasty drippings, you can whisk about ½ cup of them with a dollop of Dijon mustard and a splash of apple cider vinegar to create an amazing vinaigrette for any manner of salad or roasted veggies. This dressing will keep for you for about a week in the fridge, and you can reheat it in the microwave to loosen prior to serving.

Find it online: https://mykitchenlittle.com/2023/11/14/green-bean-bundles/