Green beans can be made ahead of time if you follow a few simple steps.
Boil the green beans like normal, but cut the time down to about 3 minutes.
Drain and place the beans in the ice bath and as soon as they are cool, place in a paper towel and blot them dry.
Store the partially cooked beans in a zip top bag in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Then, finish making the fresh green beans with bacon as the recipe instructs.