This recipe for Brown Sugar Green Beans with Bacon is so good it turns veggie haters into hard-core green bean lovers. It only takes 20 minutes to get these delicious green beans on the table and trust me, the combination of sweet brown sugar and savory bacon absolutely turns this simple side dish in to the star of the meal.
Looking for more easy vegetable side dish recipes? I’ve got you covered with these Sauteed Green Beans with Garlic and Almonds (can’t go wrong with buttery garlic!), and these super simple Sauteed Brussels Sprouts (pro tip: top them with a bit of balsamic glaze to really take it over the top!).
Holiday side dishes are my fav-o-rite side dishes. If we are excluding French fries, which we are. French fries are a whole other discussion we just don’t even have time for. Except for those babies, holiday side dishes are my sides of choice and I’ve said it before but they are easily my favorite part of holiday meals. Even though I love a really good glazed ham or brined turkey (no one can brine a turkey like you Mom) I could, if I absolutely had to, live with out the main dish come Thanksgiving or Christmas.
As long as I can fill my plate (two or three times) with side dishes galore, I’m a happy camper.
My mother goes overboard every single year and makes two kinds of mashed potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, green beans two ways, some kind of fruit salad, two or three kinds of bread (gotta have options) and at least two meats. It’s not turkey or ham at our house, it’s turkey AND ham with your choice of sauce.
Love that woman and her need to out-do herself every single year.
This is my latest obsession as far as green beans are concerned. I took the idea from one of my mother’s famous green beans recipes and spun it my own way with the addition of garlic, brown sugar, and dijon mustard. Dijon mustard?? YESSSSSSS. It makes all the difference in this recipe bringing the sweet and the savory together in one scrumptious sauce. You’re gonna go crazy for this one and so will every single person you’re having over for holiday dinners.
Don’t forget to rate this recipe and leave a comment below, I can’t wait to hear what you think of this dish!
If you liked this recipe, you’ll also love my tutorial for how to cook Bacon In The Oven!
Brown Sugar Green Beans with Bacon
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh green beans - ends trimmed
- 4-6 strips bacon - chopped, (may sub turkey bacon)
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place beans in a large pot and cover beans with water. Cover pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil until beans are tender, but not soggy (they are going to get cooked a bit longer later on so you don’t want them overcooked at this point, just to the point they can be easily pierced with a fork).
- Drain pot and rinse beans in cold water. Set aside.
- In skillet, cook bacon over medium-high heat 6-8 minutes until fully cooked but not yet crispy.
- Add brown sugar, dijon mustard, and garlic to the pan and stir until all ingredients are combined. Add green beans and continue to stir until sauce is bubbly and green beans are thoroughly coated in the sauce (4-6 minutes).
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition
Do you clean the pan before adding the brown sugar, or cook in the bacon fat?
I do not drain the bacon fat, but I also don’t have an excess amount. If you have an excess amount of fat left, maybe drain a little bit out.
Will this dish stay stable for an hour to take to a dinner party ?
It should be fine. I would make sure to try and keep it as warm as possible, or even, if possible, reheat it a bit once you arrive at the party, if needed.
I have not yet made this recipe- could I blanch the green beans rather than boiling them, would prefer a little crunchy
I’m sure it would be fine but as the recipe states, make sure you don’t cook them completely right away as they will continue to cook with the bacon later on.
This is delicious! My son, who won’t eat anything green devoured this!! Great recipe! Making this again today for Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving!
That’s great! It’s always nice to hear when people enjoy these recipes 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving!
Can I use frozen green beans?
Yes, but I recommend thawing them completely in the water bath so there is not an excess amount of liquid.