My Mom's Secret Ingredient Instantly Elevates Canned Green Beans

Every holiday meal (and many other meals for that matter) at my house included my mom’s famous green beans. She’d start them early, sometimes the day before or at least an hour before the rest of the meal. I could tell immediately when the cooking began because her secret ingredient made the entire house smell heavenly. As a kid, I never really paid much attention to what the smell was, only that I knew that I liked it. Turns out that the smell I loved was bacon. 

In Bacon We Trust

It’s no secret that my mom likes bacon. Like me, she loves its salty flavor and the way it can season a dish in such a simple way. For her green beans, the bacon is the secret, but so is the method she uses to cook it. It’s a simple one that results in beans that literally melt in your mouth.

How to Elevate Canned Green Beans with Bacon

Here is my mom’s secret canned green beans bacon hack: First, she roughly chops two slices of bacon and sets them in a pot set over medium heat.  She cooks the bacon long enough to render some fat, but not so long that it becomes crispy. Next, she drains the liquid from one can of green beans into the pot and brings it to a boil. Once it starts to boil, she adds the beans, along with some salt and pepper. At this point she usually covers the beans and lets them cook this way for a few hours over low heat. If she makes them the day before (which she recommends for deeper bacon flavor), she’ll let them cool before refrigerating them. Then it’s just a simple reheat on the stove when you’re ready to enjoy.

Extra Tips for Canned Green Beans with Bacon

• Use regular, not thick-cut, bacon for the beans. My mom says 2 slices per (15.5-ounce) can is about right. 
• Cook bacon for a short time. The goal is to render some of the fat, but not fully cook the bacon. This should only take a few minutes. Remember, crispy bacon is not the goal.
• If you have the time, make your green beans one day in advance. This gives them more time to sit in the bacon-infused cooking liquid, which means big bacon flavor.

My Variation on Mom’s Canned Green Beans with Bacon

I love my mom’s version, but it’s also fun to put my own twist on things. For example, if I’m up for it, I’ll add some diced onion and a bit of garlic to the pan, remove some of the bacon and pat it dry on clean paper towels, then use it as a crispy topper for finishing. 

Next time you grab a can of green beans from the store, grab a package of bacon too. Use my mom’s method and you’ll see how the addition of this one simple ingredient immediately elevates this simple vegetable. Because ultimately, all you need is bacon.