This recipe for Garlic Bacon Green and Yellow Beans is easy to make. It can be made on a barbecue or in the oven. It is also delicious to make on the smoker using your favourite smoking wood.
Easy to make for any occasion
This dish makes a great side for any occasion. We have made this dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, but we also serve it for a regular weeknight dinner. Usually, for a special dinner, I add freshly grated Parmesan to the top of the finished product.
When making this dish for a weeknight dinner, I sometimes only make a half recipe. That’s what is great about Garlic Bacon Green and Yellow Beans, it can be halved, doubled, or tripled very easily. When altering the size of the recipe, I use different-sized pans. For a half recipe, I use a bread pan. For a regular recipe, I use an 8×8 inch pan, and for larger batches a 13×9 inch pan. A casserole dish also works well for fancier occasions to go from oven to table. For a BBQ, I use disposable foil pans for easy cleanup.
Fresh or Frozen Beans?
In the summer when beans are in season, I make this recipe with freshly picked beans from the garden. I also visit local Farmer’s Markets to pick up fresh green and yellow beans when my garden doesn’t yield enough.
In winter when it is harder to find fresh vegetables, or fresh is expensive, I use frozen beans. Canned beans are something I have never used because I find that canned beans don’t hold up well in any recipe and they alter the taste. French-cut green beans are not recommended since they turn to mush in this recipe. Whole green and yellow beans work best.
Although the recipe calls for both green and yellow beans, it can be made with just green or yellow beans. Any combination of the two can be used. Sometimes I use only ½ pound of yellow beans to add colour and one pound of green beans.
Smoking Garlic Bacon Green and Yellow Beans
When smoking the beans, you can use your favourite wood. Maple is our choice for vegetables but apple wood also is a good choice.
It will take longer to smoke this recipe than it does in the oven or on the BBQ since the smoking temp should be set at 200°F. Smoke, uncovered, for 30-45 minutes, then finish cooking at 350°F for 10 minutes with smoke.
Leftovers?
Any leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days in an air-tight container. Reheat in the microwave. These beans are great for topping a salad for lunch. I have also served this dish with rice and grilled chicken when meal planning for the week. (A chicken recipe that pairs well with this recipe is Sweet Chili Lime Chicken Breasts.)
Bacon Garlic Green and Yellow Beans
Ingredients
- ¾ pound green beans
- ¾ pound yellow beans
- 4 Tbsp butter
- ½ pound bacon, cooked and chopped
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- In a large pot of salted boiling water, par boil the beans.
- Preheat barbecue or oven to 350°F
- Drain beans and place in a baking pan.
- Top beans with garlic, butter, cooked bacon, salt and pepper.
- Cover pan with foil wrap and baked for 20 minutes or until heated through and beans are tender.
- Stir before serving and serve hot.
