Bacon Wrapped Green Beans

It is true! Everything IS better with bacon on it!!

I saw a picture with this idea for bacon wrapped green beans and just had to try it! It was most delicious and the presentation was lovely. If you are serving kids (or adults) that shy away from vegetables, they could be tempted to try these cute little “bundles” of green beans.

This is a simple recipe that can be prepped for cooking the day before, making it an easy side dish on a busy day, for a holiday meal, or when serving company.

INGREDIENTS -

Green Beans - one handful for each serving, french (long and skinny) work best
Bacon - not too thick

To prepare the green beans, wash and remove the stem piece. Then, for the best results, blanch the green beans first. This will help hold their bright green color, and will result in the beans retaining the maximum nutritional value during the cooking process. To do this bring a pot of water to a boil and also prepare a bowl of ice water. When the water comes to a boil, add the green beans to the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes. Remove the green beans and place them in the ice water to cool and stop the cooking process.

To prepare the bacon, cook at 375 degrees in the oven for approximately 12 minutes. This cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your bacon, your goal is for it to be mostly cooked but still flexible enough to wrap around the green beans.

The first time I made this I wrapped the bacon around the middle, it was good, but the second time was even better when it was wrapped and stretched the length of the green beans. You get more bites of bacon with every bite of green beans! 😛

These can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator, or pop them straight into the oven for 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees, until the bacon is golden brown and the beans are tender.

You and your guests will love the flavor and freshness of these green beans, along with the eye appeal of the presentation. So go forth and impress! Enjoy!