Preheat oven to 375°F.

Cook bacon in a large skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat until slightly cooked, but not crispy, about 3-4 minutes. Drain the bacon on paper towels. Cut each slice of bacon in half horizontally, so that you have 16 shorter pieces of bacon. Wipe out the skillet; set it aside to use later to make the sauce.

Cook the green beans in a large pot of boiling water just until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Remove the beans from the boiling water; transfer directly to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and maintain that bright green color.

Drain the green beans, and then pat them dry on a dish towel. Place in a bowl, toss with olive oil, and season with garlic powder, kosher salt, and pepper.

Gather the green beans into 16 equal bundles (about 6-7 green beans in each bundle). Wrap each bundle with one piece of bacon, and secure with a toothpick if necessary. Place the wrapped bundles seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Lightly brush each bundle with maple syrup.

Roast the green bean bundles for 15-20 minutes, or until the bacon is crisp and the beans are tender.

When there are about 7 minutes left in the green beans’ cooking time, prepare the mushroom cream sauce. Melt the butter in the large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and garlic; cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cream, thyme, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil. Cook until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.

Spoon the mushrooms and cream sauce over the green bean bundles. Garnish with crispy fried onions and extra thyme, if desired.