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Green Bean Bundles

Green Bean Bundles are a classic American side dish where blanched green beans are wrapped in bacon and baked until crisp. A sticky brown sugar garlic butter glaze turns bubbly in the oven for a sweet-savory finish.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 355
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Green beans
  • 1.5 lb fresh green beans Trimmed.
Bacon
  • 8 bacon Halved crosswise.
Butter glaze base
  • 0.25 cup butter Melted.
  • 0.333 cup brown sugar
  • 2 garlic Minced.
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Blanch and prep
  1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Blanch the trimmed green beans in boiling water for 3 minutes.
  2. Plunge the green beans into ice water and drain. This helps keep them bright green and crisp-tender.
Wrap and glaze
  1. Gather 8-10 green beans into a bundle. Wrap each bundle with a half slice of bacon and place seam-side down in a baking dish.
  2. Whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, garlic, soy sauce, and black pepper. Mix until the sugar dissolves and the glaze looks smooth.
  3. Pour the glaze evenly over the bacon-wrapped bundles. Make sure most bundles get coated to encourage bubbling.
Bake and finish
  1. Bake at 400F for 25-30 minutes until the bacon is crisp and the glaze is bubbly. Watch the edges of the bacon for crisping.
  2. Spoon the pan glaze over the bundles and serve warm. Keep spooning so every bite gets a glossy coating.

Notes

Pro tip: Drain the blanched beans well so the bacon adheres and the glaze caramelizes instead of pooling. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; reheat in a 350F oven or skillet until hot. Freezing is not recommended because bacon texture softens and green beans lose snap. For a gluten-free swap, use gluten-free soy sauce in the glaze.