Green beans–but with ALL the good stuff: bacon drippings, brown sugar, garlic…and more bacon crumbles on top. This is such an impressive side dish–perfect for Thanksgiving, or simply a Sunday meal…whenever you want your side dish turned up a notch. Naturally gluten and dairy free…not to mention top 8 free! These Oven Roasted Garlic, Bacon & Brown Sugar Green Beans are allergy-friendly and inclusive–there’s even vegan substitutions in the recipe notes.
Who’s ready for Thanksgiving? I think I am. But then, coming up with new recipes right before just makes me want to re-think my tried-and-true allergy friendly Thanksgiving menu. I mean, CAN one leave off Oven Roasted Garlic, Bacon & Brown Sugar Green Beans from their menu once they know they exist??
If you’ve been following for a bit, you know that my son had to avoid green beans due to his EOE (eosinophilic esphagitis) so my husband and I haven’t had green beans since my son was an infant! I know it may sound silly, but I’ve missed them!
My mom, being the great mother that she is, would can green beans all growing up. My aunt would usually grow them and the we’d have to help pick them and snap them. She’d give us a big bowl and set us in front of the TV, I think hoping it would distract us and we would mindlessly do it. But, I have to admit I don’t remember being that great of a helper. Pretty sure I’d whine that my fingers hurt from the continuous snapping motion. Sorry mom!
We’d seriously lament when she’d use up the last of her can before the summer came again, because…well…once you have fresh, canned beans the store bought version just feels and tastes like plastic
So, needless to say a green bean recipe that had me snapping fresh green beans felt VERY nostalgic.
A favorite combo of mine is: soy, garlic and brown sugar. There’s just something about that sweet and salty savory combo. So, when I realized I could make a glaze for my green beans with that winning combination PLUS bacon I was ALL ABOUT IT.
Since my kids are still getting used to this wonderful green vegetable, they had a hard time with this recipe since the roasting still keeps a good amount of texture to the beans–which I like so they’re not limp and still have a bite to them. But, the next time I make this, to make it more “kid friendly” I’ll probably blanch the green beans and pour the sauce on top, so that they’re more tender, like how I used to eat them when I was a kid.
Substitution notes to make these even more allergy friendly:
- If you can’t do soy sauce, feel free to sub in coconut aminos 1:1
- If you can do gluten, feel free to use regular soy sauce
- If you are vegan–simply double the olive oil (to make up for not using baking grease) and put vegan bacon crumbles on top instead of real bacon. Voila!
To view of a video of how to make this recipe, be sure to watch it below!
Enjoy! And have a safe, happy and inclusive Thanksgiving from my food allergic family to yours!
Oven Roasted Garlic, Bacon & Brown Sugar Green Beans
Green beans--but with ALL the good stuff: bacon drippings, brown sugar, garlic...and more bacon crumbles on top. This is such an impressive side dish--perfect for Thanksgiving, or simply a Sunday meal...or whenever you want your side dish turned up a notch. Naturally gluten and dairy free...not to mention top 8 free! These Oven Roasted Garlic, Bacon & Brown Sugar Green Beans are allergy-friendly and inclusive--there's even vegan substitutions in the recipe notes.Â
Ingredients
Green Beans
- 1 pound green beans, washed and ends snapped off
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- Garlic, Bacon & Brown Sugar Glaze
- 6 pieces of bacon
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce, (or coconut aminos, if you need soy-free)
- 1 Tablespoon white cooking wine (or water) mixed with + 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch/arrowroot
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Wash the green beans and snap off the ends. Dry well. Place the green beans on an ungreased baking sheet.
- Pour the olive oil and salt on top of the green beans and mix well to evenly coat. Be sure the green beans are in an even layer before placing them in the oven.
- Bake 12 minutes.
- While the green beans cook, make the glaze. In a cast iron skillet, add the bacon. Cook until crisp, remove from the pan (leaving the bacon grease) to a paper towel lined plate and crumble. Set aside.
- Over medium heat, add in the olive oil and garlic. Stir frequently until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the rest of the glaze ingredients. Stir and cook until boiling. Remove from the heat.
- Once the beans are done cooking, add the glaze to the beans and stir well to coat.
- Place the glazed beans back in the oven for 2-4 minutes, or until desired tenderness is reached and the glaze is more caramelized.
- Serve warm with the reserved crumbled bacon.
Notes
*If you need this to be vegan, swap out the bacon grease for an extra teaspoon of olive oil, and then place vegan bacon crumbles on top.
Adapted from the talented: Omnivores Cook Book
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Looking for other allergy-friendly Thanksgiving dishes? Try some of these favorites that have graced our table many times:
Crock Pot Herb Turkey Breast with Blender Onion Mushroom Gravy
Dairy-free Garlic Parsley Mashed Potatoes
Hi! I’m Megan, a mom to four kids, two with multiple food allergies & one with EOE. I’m a published cookbook author that constantly tweaks recipes to make them allergy friendly–it’s an addiction. I share every recipe & tip with the hope that they help you as you manage your food allergies & dietary restrictions. You can still be awesome, even with food allergies!
Tina
Has anyone tried this with frozen beans? I can’t get fresh.
Marianne
We made these for Thanksgiving and they were delicious! Not the tidiest dish, because the glaze splattered a bit during those last couple minutes of roasting. But definitely worth it and great for a special meal!
Victoria
This was so good! Super quick to prep and tons of flavor.
Krista
On your GLUTEN & DAIRY-FREE TRIPLE CHOCOLATE PIE, can I use Almond milk instead of rice to make the pudding?
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Yes! Just start with the same ratio as the rice milk, and thin it out with more, as needed. Enjoy!