“These start with fresh green beans (washed and trimmed) and they’re cooked for just a few of minutes. A little trick I learned at culinary boot camp is that adding a little pinch of baking soda to the boiling water keeps the beans a nice bright green rather than that drab boiled green color.”
And if you’re concerned with the idea of wrapping raw bacon around fresh green beans because of their varying cook times, no worries. This recipe covers everything. The bacon is slightly cooked before wrapping meaning the bacon drippings are put to good use. Then as the bundles roast, each slice finishes cooking in the oven so the green beans are tender but still have some bite while the bacon is crisp.
So, to make these delightful green bean bundles, just precook your bacon a bit on the stove, reserve the bacon fat, briefly cook the beans in boiling water, season, assemble, brush with a little sugar syrup and roast (which always gives vegetables a deep, toasty flavor).
Green Bean Bundles!
Ingredients
Green beans (about 1 1/2 lbs) 6-8 beans per bundle
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
6 slices bacon
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Want to learn more about these bacon and green bean bundles? Head on over to Spend with Pennies for all the delicious details and full printable recipe.
Thanks to Holly for this amazing recipe and featured image!