Green Bean and Bacon Bundles
An impressive side dish that will please even the vegetable avoiders, these Green Bean and Bacon Bundles are both elegant and delicious!
Assemble these Green Bean Bundles ahead of time and just pop them into the oven before dinner. You will look like a seasoned host or hostess!
Why You Must Make
Fresh green beans are one of the blessings of summer. A few of my favorite tried and true green bean recipes are these Asian Green Beans from my mom’s recipe box, Haricots Verts with Grape Tomatoes, and Garlic Parmesan Roasted Green Beans. Sometimes it’s nice to make them fancy, even on a weeknight. Bundling a few green beans in bacon, drizzling with a jazzed-up garlic butter sauce, and baking makes an elegant presentation, not to mention a delicious little package.
- This fresh green bean recipe is elegant and delicious!
- Simple, easy-to-find ingredients make a company-worthy side dish.
- You can assemble these ahead of time to make it easy when the dinner hour draws near.
- They make such a fun presentation!
Expert Tips
This is one of those Fresh Green Bean Recipes that can be served for a special weeknight dinner or for dinner guests! Versatile, impressive, and delicious!
- PRO-Tip: You may precook the beans and bacon so the beans keep their green color and to shorten the time in the oven. When I have a busy day, I do a lot of prep work in the morning, so dinner comes together quickly.
- For this recipe, you can prepare the beans and bacon while sipping on your breakfast coffee. I place a few paper towels on a microwave-safe plate, arrange the bacon in a single layer, top with more paper towels and zap till some of the fat is rendered and it is partially cooked.
- The beans can be precooked for about 3-5 minutes, drained, and placed in ice water. This makes for simple assembly during the busy dinner hour and shortens the time in the oven.
- PRO-Tip: Using thin green beans or haricots verts works best. You can often find whole thin green beans in the frozen food section of your grocery store, just defrost before assembling. Cooking time will vary depending on both the thickness of your beans and your bacon.
Frequently Asked Questions
The color should be bright green without bruises or discoloration. They should feel firm and crisp and snap when bent. The skin should be smooth and tight without signs of dehydration.
Avoid beans with large swollen pods as this is a sign of old, tough green beans.
Blanching is a cooking process that brightens and sets the color. It also starts the cooking process.
To blanch green beans, drop them into boiling water briefly (about 2-3 minutes) until the color brightens. Next, remove them with a slotted spoon and plunge them into ice water to stop the cooking process.
Precooking the bacon helps ensure the bacon will be safe to eat when the shorter cooking time for the beans is done. Fry or microwave the bacon until much of the fat is rendered, the bacon looks nearly cooked, but is not crisp, but pliable. This way it can be wrapped around the beans.
You May Also Like:
- Easy Oven Roasted Asparagus
- Honey Balsamic Roasted Carrots
- Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Lemon Garlic Broccoli
- Roasted Autumn Vegetables
- Cauliflower Bacon Gratin
- More Side Dish Recipes
Green Bean and Bacon Bundles
An easy, elegant side dish that's impressive enough to serve company.
Ingredients
- 3/4 pound haricots verts or thin green beans (may cook first for about 3-4 minutes, then cool in ice water)
- 6 slices of bacon, 1/2 slice for every 5 green beans (may par-cook)
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
- A pinch of freshly ground black pepper
- Grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º.
- Clean and snip the ends of the green beans. Bundle beans in bunches of 5-7 and wrap with 1/2 of a bacon slice. Skewer with a toothpick if desired. Place on a baking sheet.
- Mix together melted butter, brown sugar, garlic salt and black pepper. Drizzle over each bundle, and then sprinkle a little Parmesan on each bundle as well.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Then broil for a minute or two to brown if desired.
Notes
Note: if you precooked the beans and bacon, you may want to decrease the cooking time to 15-20 minutes.
Precooking the bacon helps assure it's fully done when the beans are cooked.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
2 bundlesAmount Per Serving: Calories: 158Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 32mgSodium: 337mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 6g
56 Comments on “Green Bean and Bacon Bundles”
Beautiful presentation and I could eat this every day.
Nice post keep up the good work
What a great way to get everyone to eat green beans! Bacon always trumps veggies!
Loving these low carb easy peasy appetizers. Bacon according to teenagers belongs in it’s own food group, so they would be a hit here.
Well I know technically winter has just started, but these little bundles scream “Spring”! I make the similar dish with asparagus in spring, but green beens make a great substitution during the cold seasons when asparagus is outrageously expensive. Delicious!
These bundles are so elegant and Bill likes them – big kudos there. I know I’d like them too.
I love that you can make these Ahead of time
These make great appetizers as well as potluck dishes, dear! Love it! xoxo
These do look wonderful Liz. That bacon, oh I love bacon but try to avoid it now that I’m getting older. It’s fine occasionally or at least that’s what I keep telling myself. Great side dish – love it!!
I could make a meal out of these little bundles! Thanks for the great recipe Liz
Such a classic but with a modern presentation, love bacon. And just started doing do my green beans in the air fryer…love them more.
this looks wonderful Lizzy, hugs and love ! gloria
Yum, my favorite way to eat green beans!
Lizzy,
I love green beans and, of course, bacon. This is great recipe. Can’t wait to try it.
Annamaria
i always craving for this kind of tapas in a party…..hehehe
You have made the humble green beans so fancy and great!