Description
Crack Green Beans is a delectable sweet and savory side dish featuring tender green beans baked under a luscious brown sugar, butter, and soy sauce glaze, finished with crispy bacon crumbles. This comforting casserole is perfect for holiday dinners or any occasion needing a crowd-pleasing vegetable dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Green Beans
- 5 cans (14.5 oz each) green beans, drained (or 6 cups fresh green beans, trimmed and blanched)
Bacon
- 12 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
Glaze
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to prepare for baking the casserole.
- Cook Bacon: Cook the bacon slices until crispy, then drain excess fat and crumble them. Set aside for topping.
- Prepare Green Beans: Drain the canned green beans, or if using fresh, trim and blanch them until tender-crisp to ensure even cooking.
- Arrange Green Beans: Spread the prepared green beans evenly in a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Make Glaze: In a bowl, combine brown sugar, melted butter, low-sodium soy sauce, garlic powder, and black pepper. Mix until the glaze is smooth and well blended.
- Coat Green Beans: Pour the glaze over the green beans and gently toss the beans to coat them evenly.
- Add Bacon: Sprinkle the crumbled crispy bacon evenly on top of the glazed green beans.
- Bake: Place the baking dish uncovered in the oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the glaze is bubbly and thickened.
- Rest and Serve: Remove from oven and let the dish sit for 5 minutes before serving to allow the glaze to set slightly.
Notes
- For fresher flavor and texture, use fresh green beans instead of canned.
- You can prepare the bacon ahead of time to save on cooking time.
- Adjust the amount of brown sugar to make the dish sweeter or less sweet based on preference.
- This dish can be reheated gently in the oven or microwave before serving.
- Low-sodium soy sauce helps control the saltiness but regular soy sauce can be used if preferred.
