Green Bean Buddies

For the marinade:
In a medium-sized bowl whisk together all of the ingredients for the marinade and set aside.

For the buddies:
Bring a large pot of water to boil and drop in the fresh beans. Return to a boil and boil for about 10 minutes. Beans should be tender-crisp. Drain beans and cover with ice and water to stop the cooking and to retain color.

When beans are cooled, drain off the water and place them in a non-reactive bowl, pour marinade over beans and toss to coat the beans. Set aside to marinate for an hour or more.

While beans are marinating, precook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat. Cook it just enough to render the fat, but not until crisp. Remove bacon from the pan and cut each strip in half crosswise.

Cover a shallow rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Take 6 to 8 beans out of the marinade and wrap 1/2 slice of bacon around the beans, securing with a toothpick.* Place bean buddies on the foil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

At 10-15 minutes before serving: Preheat the broiler. Place tray under the broiler, with the door ajar. Broil for about 3 to 5 minutes per side, turning at least once. Buddies are done when bacon has browned and crisped nicely.

Place bean buddies on a serving tray and drizzle lightly with the remaining marinade. Serve immediately.

Cook’s Notes:
* The toothpick is necessary to keep bacon together when you turn the buddy over during baking.

Allow 2 to 4 green bean buddies per person.

Oven method: Preheat oven to 350 F. Place bean buddies in a baking pan and bake for about 30 minutes, turning at least once. Finish under the broiler to crisp the bacon. Serve immediately.

To grill: Heat grill to medium, place buddies in a cast iron skillet or on a grill griddle. Cook thoroughly, turning several times until bacon is cooked through and crispy. Serve immediately.

This recipe is adapted from Green Bean Bundles found many places on the internet. My recipe was adapted from DeepSouthDish.com