Make Canned Green Beans 100x More Delicious With A Baking Staple

Canned green beans often get short shrift when it comes to creative culinary use. A couple of years ago, we ourselves even went so far as to dub canned green beans a cooking mistake. They can be soggy and taste flat, after all. Does that mean you should always use raw ones? Not necessarily. While we love a garden-fresh green bean (we even know that a low-nitrogen fertilizer is best for growing them), we now believe that canned green beans can be put to exceptional culinary use ... such as adding brown sugar to them for an outta-this-world side.

Brown sugar isn't just for baking cookies; it's also the key to elevating the heck out of canned green beans. You may have seen recipes floating around social media for (indelicately named) "crack" green beans, but the use of bacon can be considered optional in this case. All you really need is a sweet-savory mixture made of soy sauce and Worcestershire with plenty of brown sugar (½ to ⅔ cup for four or so cans of beans is a good start).

The combination of sweet and savory flavors works so well because it lights up different taste receptors in our mouths. In fact, sweet and umami flavors actually play off one another so that one highlights the other. The green beans are a vessel for the exceptional sauce, which can be as simple as a handful of ingredients stirred into drained canned beans and baked in a casserole dish or more complex with the addition of time and extra resources.

It should go without saying that crispy bacon is a "duh" addition to brown sugar green beans that will really tantalize your tastebuds. Remember when we talked about complex flavors playing off one another? Adding the saltiness and meatiness of bacon accomplishes that objective with aplomb. We've also seen vegan versions that utilize chopped walnuts for heft and a slight, craveable bitter note. Call us greedy, but we might use both!

Diced sweet onions are another star player when it comes to delicious additions to this dish. Shallots are a more "cheffy" option, but don't be afraid to use those humble Vidalia onions sitting on your counter. In a pinch, you can also use dried onion powder in your sauce. Remember that you are trying to build complex layers of flavor. You might have already guessed that garlic is another allium that can go a long way in your casserole dish here. If sharpness is what you crave, might we recommend a tablespoon of grainy, pungent whole grain mustard, too?

We might just scarf these delicious green beans straight from the pan, but we think they'd go wonderfully with meals that won't be drowned out by their big flavors. Our bespoke recipe for easy creamy Tuscan chicken seems like a natural match, but a Mississippi pot roast would be another home run! Serve some classic roast potatoes on the side, and you'll have a feast that delights everyone lucky enough to sit at your table.