bacon bean bundles (only - NOT) for big families

Most of the kids just up and decided they no longer liked my green beans several months ago.

When I'd include 'green beans' in the reply

when I answered the dreaded "What's for dinner?" question,

they'd asked hopefully, "Canned??"

Um. No.

So I wanted to find a way to serve green beans that everyone would enjoy.

Which led me to those cute little green bean bundles.

But really.

Who has time to tie their green beans into bundles?

And who only eats 6-10 green beans?

So I came up with a bundle-less batch of green beans.

They get a thumbs up from everyone but Lexi - she thinks they are too sweet.

(They are pretty sweet, and I'll write the recipe as I made them, but I'll probably reduce the sweetener next time)

Pre-heat your oven to 400.

Snap the ends and any bad spots off of 1 1/2 - 2 lbs of fresh green beans (or use frozen - the skinny ones are yummiest)

then partially cook them by any method you prefer (steam, microwave, pressure cook...)

While your beans are (par)cooking,

put 1/2 a stick of butter into a 9x13 baking dish, cut it up so it'll melt quickly, and stick it in your pre-heating oven.

Grab a pound of bacon and cut the whole package in half.

Save one half for another batch of beans. Or maybe some bacon wrapped dates. Or cheesy jalapenos.Yum.

The other half (using the little plastic thing that is under the bacon as your cutting board) slice through all the bacon strips at once - and cut the bacon into 1/2 - 3/4 inch pieces.

Throw away your 'cutting board'  and wash your knife.

While your butter is melting, gather up the following ingredients, and when the butter is melted (mostly melted is okay, too) add:

2 Tbs braggs liquid aminos (or soy sauce)

3 Tbs xylitol

1/2 Tbs molasses

(If you are not a nutjob like me, and use sugar - just use 3 Tbs brown sugar in place of the xylitol and molasses)

Give it all a stir.

By now, your beans should be partially cooked, but kinda crunchy still 

(softer is okay. They just might fall apart. They'll still taste good though; no worries)

so remove them from the heat, drain them, and toss them onto the sauce in the 9x13 pan.

Give it all another stir and spread the beans out evenly(ish).

Now take your (raw) bacon pieces and layer them (touching) over the beans

and stick the pan, uncovered, in the oven 'til the bacon is mostly crispy - about 45 minutes or so.

Tell everyone they have to eat the beans under the bacon

 - they can't just eat the bacon - 

and enjoy!