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Smothered Green Beans

Smothered green beans baked until tender with a glossy brown sugar butter sauce and bacon drippings. This Southern-style side dish cooks in a 9x13-inch dish for sticky, flavorful results.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Southern American
Calories: 255
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

canned cut green beans
  • 4 can (14.5 oz) cut green beans drained
bacon
  • 8 slices bacon chopped
onion
  • 0.5 small onion diced
brown sugar butter sauce
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar packed
  • 0.25 cup butter melted
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep
  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
Cook the bacon and build the dish
  1. Cook bacon and diced onion in a skillet for 8 minutes until bacon is mostly crisp, and do not drain the drippings.
  2. Place drained green beans in a 9x13-inch baking dish, then top with bacon, onion, and all skillet drippings.
Smother and bake
  1. Whisk brown sugar, melted butter, soy sauce, garlic powder, and black pepper until combined, then pour over the beans.
  2. Cover with foil and bake at 350F for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring once, until the sauce is glossy and bubbling.
Serve
  1. Stir the green beans and serve warm.

Notes

For the glossiest sauce, keep the foil on through most of the bake time, then uncover for the final 5 minutes so the brown sugar-butter mix thickens. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; reheat in a covered baking dish at 325F until hot. Freezing is not recommended because canned green beans can soften further. For a lower-sodium option, choose reduced-sodium soy sauce while keeping the rest the same.