Green Bean Casserole with Bacon + Brown Sugar Glaze

Green Bean Casserole with Bacon close-up in dish with serving spoon.

Green Bean Casserole with Bacon + Brown Sugar Glaze

Green Bean Casserole with Bacon is a delicious holiday side dish of fresh green beans and crispy bacon in a sweet-and-savory brown sugar glaze. Green beans with bacon are perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or to make an everyday dinner special!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Total Time 45

Servings servings

Calories 167kcal

Author Samantha Skaggs

Ingredients

2 pounds fresh green beans cleaned & trimmed
8 ounces bacon cooked until crispy & chopped
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Place rack in center position of oven and preheat to 350°F.
Bring a large pot of salted water (or chicken broth) to a boil. Add the green beans and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain and transfer to an approximately 2 ½-quart baking dish.
Sprinkle chopped bacon over the green beans in the baking dish. Melt the butter (in a glass measuring cup in the microwave or in a small saucepan on the stove). Stir in the brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic powder, and pepper until well combined. Pour over the green beans and bacon in the baking dish and toss until all ingredients are coated. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until tender and heated through. Stir well and serve hot.

Video

Notes

My favorite way to cook bacon is to lay it in a deep, foil-lined baking pan and bake it on the center rack at 400°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until done to your liking.
By following the cooking times in the recipe, the green beans will turn out very soft and tender. If you prefer green beans that have a slight bite and a brighter green color, boil for only 5 minutes. The green beans will continue to cook during their time in the oven.
I've found that boiling the green beans in chicken broth or stock gives them extra flavor. However, since the chicken broth gets discarded upon draining the green beans, I add a spoonful of Organic Better than Bouillon chicken base to the pot of water in which I cook the green beans (rather than using cartons of chicken broth).
MAKE-AHEAD INSTRUCTIONS: Up to two days ahead of time, cook the bacon and boil the green beans as directed. Combine them in the baking dish, cover, and refrigerate. Assemble the sauce in a small glass jar or bowl; cover and refrigerate. When it's time to cook the casserole, remove the baking dish from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature while preheating the oven. Reheat the sauce in the microwave (to melt the butter) and stir well. Pour the sauce over the baking dish of green beans/bacon and toss to combine. Bake as directed.

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