Thursday, February 26, 2015

GREEN BEAN BUNDLES

I have made Green Bean Bundles for a number of gatherings and it is always a crowd pleaser.   It is also the perfect dish for entertaining since it is easy to prepare ahead and baked just before serving.

Ready for baking.
GREEN BEAN BUNDLES.   Source: The Pastry Queen Christmas, by Rebecca Rather 
* 1-1/2 pounds green beans 
* 1 stick butter 
* 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard 
* 1 teaspoon packed brown sugar 
* 1 clove garlic, minced 
* 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 
* 8 ounces bacon 
     Blanch green beans in salted water for about 3-4 minutes until beans are slightly pliable. Drain and run under cold water to stop cooking. Dry and place in shallow ovenproof casserole dish. Melt butter and stir in dry mustard, brown sugar, garlic and salt, and pour over the beans. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. 
     Make a bundle of 8 or so beans and wrap a half slice of bacon around each bundle, securing with a toothpick. Arrange back in the same dish, and bake, uncovered in preheated 375ยบ oven for 45 minutes or until bacon is cooked and the beans look wrinkled. Serve warm or at room temperature.


The bundles were placed in an 9" x 12" glass baking dish.  I would advise baking these in a larger dish so that they aren't quite so crowded.  That may result in the bacon cooking a bit more completely.