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Make-Ahead Green Bean Bundles with Bacon
A Convenient & Elegant Weeknight or Holiday Side Dish
My Make-Ahead Green Bean Bundles with Bacon recipe is a flavorsome vegetable side dish. If you’re seeking a sophisticated yet convenient side dish for your holiday feast or weeknight dinner, this is it. This holiday side dish’s sweet and savory flavors pair well with numerous menu items. And with how quickly they come together, they are also fantastic for giving weeknight meals a boost of elegance.
Making ahead and freezing the bacon-wrapped green beans saves me time during the holidays. Similarly, keeping a bag of these in my freezer gives me a quick side dish dinner option.
I have a quick and easy turnip gratin recipe I also love for either a weeknight or holiday side dish if you are looking for vegetable side dishes. It pairs well with many main courses as well or can be used as a vegetable main with a side salad. You can prep it in advance and it cooks quickly.
Make-Ahead Options
Here’s how to prep the green beans to save time:
1. Wrap Green Bean Bundles with Bacon and Freeze:
- Take fresh green beans and wrap them in a halved raw bacon strip.
- Type:- any green bean will work — haricot verts are an elegant choice
- Cooked – either blanch the beans or leave them fresh
- Canned – canned green beans if you like, but make sure they are whole and not halved so the bacon will wrap around them
- Secure the bundles with a toothpick.
- Place the bundles on a baking sheet and freeze them.
- Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag for storage until you’re ready to assemble the dish.
- Below you’ll see a picture of the beans in a plastic freezer bag, but I’ve since started a collection of silicone reusable bags as I’m trying to stay away from plastics. I love the reusable bags and use them often. You’ll find a link to them in the recipe below.
2. Preparing Green Bean Bundle Dish in Advance:
- The day before you plan to serve the dish, arrange the green bean bundles in a baking dish.
- Prepare a delectable brown sugar and garlic braising liquid to drizzle over the bundles.
- Cover the dish with foil and refrigerate overnight.
3. Quick & Easy Baking:
- On the day you’re ready to enjoy, preheat your oven.
- Uncover the baking dish and bake the green bean bundles until they are tender and the bacon is beautifully caramelized.
- For a conventional oven, set it at 400°F.
- In a convection oven, this takes around 15-20 minutes at 375°F.
The result? You can reduce last-minute cooking stress using the make-ahead aspect to plan and prepare in advance. These green beans make a splendid holiday side dish or a delightful addition to your weeknight meals. And they also reheat quickly in the oven.
Enjoy the Recipe
Make-Ahead Green Bean Bundles with Bacon are perfect for busy times. Pair them with twice-baked potatoes for a simple plant-based meal, roast chicken for something more traditional, or with your turkey dinner.
These make-ahead green bean bundles with bacon are my ideal solution for meal planning without compromising on taste or elegance. Whether it’s a holiday celebration or an everyday dinner, these green bean bundles will be a hit at your table.
Green Bean Bundles with Bacon
Equipment
- Individual 1/8 Sheet Pans or larger depending on how many you make, but the smaller ones fit in my freezer better
- reusable stand-up silicone bag, 104 Oz for freezer storage (plastic-free) – I love this bag!
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh green beans trimmed
- 1 lb of bacon
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 stick butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup chicken broth bouillon or salted water okay substitutions
- 1 tsp sea salt
Instructions
Prepare the Bundles:
- Bundle 8-10 green beans and wrap a half slice of bacon around them.
- Secure with a toothpick.
- (MAKE-AHEAD OPTION) Place the bundles on a baking sheet and freeze until firm; once frozen, remove the toothpick and transfer them to a freezer bag for storage.
Braising Liquid
- In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter, minced garlic, broth and salt.
- Heat over low until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is well combined.
- Remove from heat.
- Arrange the green bean bundles in a 13×9 inch baking dish (if frozen, no need to defrost).
- Drizzle the brown sugar and garlic braising liquid over the bundles.
- (MAKE-AHEAD OPTION for day before) Cover the dish and refrigerate overnight.
Baking
- Preheat your oven to 375°F for convection or 400°F for a conventional oven.
- Remove the toothpicks from the frozen bundles.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes (20-25 for conventional) or until the green beans are tender and the bacon is golden brown.
- To reheat cooled dish, bake for 10-15 minutes at 350°F.
Notes
- Make-ahead convenience: The freezing step allows you to prepare these bundles in advance. You can also prepare the dish the day before.
- Green Beans: you can use fresh, frozen, or canned green beans in this dish. Fresh/frozen Haricots Verts are our favorite bean choice.
- Bacon: Thick or thin bacon works, but thick bacon will take longer to turn golden brown, so we typically choose a thinner bacon.
- Remove toothpicks before baking/serving: It’s important to remove the toothpicks to avoid accidents while serving.
- Versatile side: These green bean bundles make an elegant side dish for holiday gatherings and can also enhance your regular weeknight dinners. Enjoy!
Holiday Meal Ideas
