Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 pound green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise
4 bacon slices
1 (8 ounce) bottle cocktail onions, drained
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 ½ tablespoon cider vinegar
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
1. Cook green beans in boiling water for 4 minutes or until el dente (still firm to the bite). 
2. Rinse with cold water, drain and pat dry with paper towel. Set aside.
3. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp.  Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings in pan; crumble bacon, and set aside.
4. Add onions to drippings in the pan; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add sugar and thyme; cook for 3 minutes or until onions are just beginning to turn golden brown, stirring occasionally.
6. Add the beans, and cook for 2 minutes or until heated through.
7. Add vinegar, salt, and pepper; toss to coat.  Stir in crumbled bacon just before serving.

Cooling the beans after the 4-minute boil is best if you can do a real “shock” on the beans by dropping them into a bowl with ice and water. The beans will melt the ice, and still have cold water to completely stop the cooking process in about 3-4 minutes. At this point they will still be more raw than cooked. Be careful not to overcook in step 6, or the color will begin to fade. The beans should still have some crunch when you bite into them.