Here’s the thing. You can wrap pretty much anything in bacon and cover it in butter and sugar, and it will be good. I know that. You know that. And these green beans? Prove that.
Strangely enough, my child – who will eat pretty much any fruit or vegetable – refused to eat a little bundle of bacon-wrapped green beans. That worked out well, though, because it left more for the grown-ups.
Seriously, though – who turns down what is essentially vegetable candy?!
We had friends over for dinner on Saturday night, and you know how I am. I consider dinner guests my guinea pigs for new recipes. I’m happy to say that exactly 50 percent of my attempted new dishes turned out great.
[Don't ask about the banana cream pie cupcakes. They did NOT live up to my Pinterest-inspired dreams.]
My friend Kelly is sweet enough that, as I told her, I knew she wouldn’t mind if she saw my kitchen in its “natural state.” In other words, it was a bit of a disaster. Nevertheless, I felt the need to distract her from my messiness with some fancy veggies.
Yes. I’m saying that fancy = wrapped in bacon.
I didn’t really need to be fancy. You don’t need to for real friends, right? We had a great time visiting with our friends (and the girls – Annalyn and their 5-year-old daughter only erupted into tears and pouting once the whole night). And they were kind enough to say as many nice things about the failed cupcakes as they did the amazing green beans.
This dish took longer than opening up a can of green beans and nuking them in the microwave, of course. But it really didn’t take that long. Snapping the ends off the beans was annoying (but partially just because I’m used to just opening up a can . . .). Wrapping them up in bacon and the rest wasn’t hard – or all that time-consuming – at all.
Bacon-Wrapped Green Beans
1-2 lbs. fresh green beans
8-12 slices bacon
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp butter
2 tsp garlic powder
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Snap the ends off your beans and wash them thoroughly. Lightly salt and pepper them. Cut your bacon slices into thirds or halves (depending on the size of bundles you want – or, if you’re like me, the ratio of bacon to bean you want), then wrap around a few beans. I found that a third wrapped around about four beans easily, while a half could hold six or so. Place bundles on a greased baking sheet (or a foil-lined and greased baking sheet, if you want an easier clean-up).
In a small sauce pan, melt butter and add brown sugar and garlic powder. (You don’t have to add the garlic powder. I saw recipes that called for more, recipes that called for none, and recipes that called for other ingredients altogether. This is what I did. And it was good.) Brush the melted mixture of goodness over your bean bundles. Bake for 35-40 minutes.
What is your favorite bacon-wrapped food?
This post will be linked to Mouthwatering Monday, Made by You Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, 33 Shades of Green, Works for Me Wednesday, What I Whipped Up Wednesday, I’m Lovin’ It, Foodie Friday and Show and Tell Saturday. It will also be linked to Ingredient Spotlight at Eat at Home Cooks.
This recipe is seriously going to foil Meatless Monday in our house. Oh my word those look delicious…you had me at bacon and brown sugar.
Hey, first off THANKS for stopping by my blog. You are my first visitor (to my knowledge). I need to get brave and share the blog with some others.
Ok, but yeah bacon + anything = yum! Now, I’m hungry and want these. :-)
I’ve been wanting these since we ate the last one! :)
Oh – and I’m honored to be your first visitor!!!
Love bacon in green beans so why not wrap them? Great idea. I love bacon wrapped scallops too!
Mmmmm…sounds good. Bacon really does make everything better!
you must be having a busy week!
Hello! Just found your blog today (via Eat at Home), and saw this recipe! I have been making these for years, and they are always the first to go, rarely have leftovers! I make them using 2 cans of Del Monte Green Beans and they are fantastic, and seems like I use 1/4 c br sugar & 1/4 melted butter/margerine…YUM! Enjoying your blog! We’re ‘almost’ neighbors…we live down here in SW MO (where that tornado came through on Leap Year Day) :)
Hope you weren’t hit by that tornado!! I’m making these again for Easter – and making more this time! I don’t want leftovers necessarily, but I definitely wanted more than a couple bundles to eat myself! :)
This looks like the perfect addition to Easter dinner — and, for beans, I am an “open the can” cook, too! I would love it if you would consider linking to Busy Monday at A Pinch of Joy, a Sunday through Thursday link party for ideas that make life easier, better and more fun
Yes, I’m making them for Easter lunch! (And I normally fix canned beans, too!)
ABSOLUTELY! Yummy girlie! :-)
Oh, your veggie candy looks delightful! I just love green beans and adding bacon to any recipe makes it better. :-) Thanks for sharing with Tuesdays at the Table!
Haha! True – bacon DOES make everything better!
They look great! My favorite bacon wrapped… marinate water chestnuts in diluted low sodium soy sauce.. wrap and grill, broil or bake until bacon cooked turn to cook both top and bottom … ALWAYS go quickly.
Yum! That sounds so good, Cindy! Thanks for the idea!