If you want to elevate your basic green bean side dish into something spectacular, consider wrapping individual bundles of them in caramelized bacon.

Green beans are salty, especially if you boil them briefly in salted water before roasting. Adding bacon will amp up their saltiness, while the caramelization adds some sweetness.

To prepare, start by boiling your green beans in salted water. After no more than three minutes, take them out of the water and immediately dunk them in an ice bath.

Cook the bacon on a baking sheet for around 11 minutes, taking it out as the fat starts to bubble. Remove the bacon from the pan to let it cool and set the bacon grease aside.

Coat the green beans in a mixture of melted bacon fat, olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Bundle up to 12 green beans and wrap a slice of bacon around them.

Use a toothpick to keep the green bean and bacon bundle together, then spread a mixture of chopped thyme and brown sugar over the entire thing. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.