Green Beans with Candied Pecans and Bacon

This side dish is not meant to be healthy by any means, even though it appears to be a big bowl of green veggies.  I've always loved green beans, and usually I steam them and put them in abundantly nutritious salads like my Spinach Salad with Steamed Veggies, or my Lemon Pepper Chicken and Vegetable Salad.

Nope - not here; the soul purpose of this side dish is to be fancy and delicious! and indeed it is! I served these casually, alongside grilled steak tips one night, but they could be used to dress up any meal.

Green Beans with Candied Pecans and Bacon

recipe by Sabrina W. for eat.drink.and be merry.

yields 4 to 6 servings

1 lb green beans, washed and trimmed

1 1/2 cups whole pecans

3 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped ( I used applewood smoked from Trader Joe's)

1/3 cup agave and maple syrup blend (I found this at Trader Joe's, you could also use regular maple syrup)

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

3 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat with nonstick spray. Spread out the pecans and drizzle them with syrup and toss with brown sugar until they are all completely coated. Bake for 10 minutes, watching them carefully so they don't burn.

Remove the pecans from the oven and let them cool for 10 minutes so they harden.

Steam green beans until they just start to get tender. You don't want to overcook them because they will cook more when tossed in the skillet.

In a skillet, saute chopped bacon on med to med-hi heat until they start to get crispy, about 5 minutes. Add the green beans, vinaigrette, and pecans and toss together. Remove from pan and serve.