These Green Bean Bundles are a delicious way to add a little something special to your table. Tender green beans are wrapped in smoky bacon and drizzled with a savory, tangy onion and bacon dressing.
When I was a kid, my mom would make green bean bundles on special occasions. They took a little more time and extra effort, but they were the perfect way for her to show she cared – by putting a little extra love into her food. That’s pretty much how we Southerners show love… we cook for folks.
This recipe is the perfect blend of her recipe and mine, and the result is what I think are the best green bean bundles I’ve had. They’re the perfect blend of different textures and flavors – smoky, tender, crisp, savory, and tangy! Plus, they only call for 5 ingredients!
Yes, they take a little more time and effort than most of my recipes, but I can assure you they are worth it. And green bean bundles are the perfect way to say, “I cared enough about you to make these for you.”
If you want all the flavor of these bacon-wrapped green beans, but without the extra work, you can try my Unbundled Green Beans recipe.
How to Blanch Green Beans
This recipe calls for you to blanch the green beans before assembling the bundles. Blanching is like a magic trick for your beans. It brightens their color, making them look like they just came from a photoshoot. And in this case, it par-cooks the beans so they turn out tender-crisp.
After their hot bath, they need a chill pill. Plunge them into ice-cold water. This stops the cooking process right away so they don’t get overcooked.
Should I use a toothpick to secure these bundles?
I find that the par cooking of the bacon combined with ensuring the seam is on the bottom of the bundle negates the need for a toothpick. It’s just one more step. However, if you find them fussy to wrap, you can certainly use a toothpick to secure the bacon as a little insurance policy that they’ll stay together.
Can I swap the green beans for asparagus?
I love this idea! Not a green bean fan? Simply swap the green beans for asparagus. Just keep in mind that the thickness of the asparagus can vary vastly, so you might need fewer pieces of asparagus in each bundle to allow the bacon to fit around it.
And depending on the size and length of the asparagus, you might need a different amount. Since asparagus is typically much longer than green beans, it will probably take more – by weight. A pound of green beans will have more beans than a pound of asparagus will have individual stalks.
This recipe was updated on March 19, 2024. For the original recipe, click here.
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh green beans trimmed
- 8 slices bacon
- 1 (1.0-ounce) packet dry onion soup mix
- 3 tablespoons bacon grease from cooking the bacon
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spread the bacon on the pan and partially cook the bacon until it just starts to brown around the edges – 10 to 12 minutes.
- Once cool enough to handle, drain the bacon grease into a small bowl. Cut each slice of bacon in half with a pair of kitchen shears. Set aside.
- Blanch the green beans in salted boiling water for about 3 minutes. Immediately plunge into a bowl of ice water and allow to chill for about 5 minutes. Drain well and set the beans aside.
- Gather a bundle of 4 to 6 green beans and wrap a half slice of bacon around it. Place the bundle back on the rimmed baking pan seam side down. Repeat with all the green beans. You should end up with about 16 bundles.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons of the reserved bacon grease with the onion soup mix and the white wine vinegar. Spoon some of the mixture over each bundle.
- Return to the oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until the bacon is just crisp. Serve warm.
Nutrition
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
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I make these green bean bundles for years but after i bundle the beans and bacon I combine with the brown sugar and finely minced rosemary To finish I pop the paninto hot overn Oh yeah and waite for a wonderful aroma to fill the house .when timer
goes off I peek into oven and a beautiful pan of delicious ness will greet your eyes and smell
Sounds amazing, Norma!
This is a family favorite and guests always ask for the recipe. It’s a little different than yours !
4 cans whole green beans
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp dry mustard
Drain beans. Save the juice and add mustard and brown sugar to it. Bundle 7-8 beans in 1/3 piece of bacon. Place in oven proof dish and bake at 350 for about an hour.
Oops! Forgot to say pour the mixture over the beans.
This sounds great! Thanks for sharing!!
My grandmother (Nanny) had her own green bean bundle recipe. Her’s called for 3-4 cans of green beans and a pound of bacon cut in half vertically. Instead of the onion soup mix, she poured a 16 oz bottle of French salad dressing over the bundles. This is about the only way some of my family will eat green beans!
Wonderful! Thanks so much for sharing your family’s variation!
My daughter and I met Christy at the festival. She certainly is a sweet southern gal! My daughter and I love her dishpan cookies so much, my daughter had her sign the red dhishpan we use to mix the batter in. Christy didn’t bat an eye… she just signed away!
I love this recipe that you posted. Hmmm… I think I will make a change to the Easter Menu and add these. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Katie! It was SO great meeting you. Christy was just tickled pink to be able to sign that dishpan. You two just made her day!
This looks so easy – gotta try it!!!!! Your recipes keep getting better and better. Thanks!
Thanks, Mary! You just made my morning!
Not so fond of canned beans…how about fresh that are first steamed . Love the bacon idea ~~
Sure! You can lightly steam some and use those without any problem at all.
I’m going to add these to my Easter menu! AND I’m going to call my Grandma today -love her! I wish she was close enough to go visit whenever I wanted.
Happy Easter to you and your family.
Exactly what I wanted to hear! These are sooo good and crazy easy, a little time consuming with the bundling and all, but worth it.
Thanks!!! I can’t wait to try these!!
They are super addictive!