Want to get your family to eat more broccoli?? Just toss it in some garlicky sauce with bacon!! This Creamy Broccoli and Bacon dish has the most delicious creamy garlic sauce with smoky, crispy bits of bacon in every bite. Perfect for sprucing up broccoli.
Serve it over pasta, over rice, as a side dish, or add some chicken broth and make it a soup!
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6 ingredient broccoli side dish
I love this dish because it has the perfect balance of DELICIOUS, nutritious, and EASY. Just 6 ingredients, 20 minutes of cook time, and you'll be slurping up delicious garlicky sauce, and oh yea, loads of broccoli.
You can use fresh or frozen broccoli for this recipe.
This dish is made in one skillet, so you have easy cleanup to go along with the easy prep. Let's cook!
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked bacon (about 8-10 slices), chopped into ½-inch pieces (easy cleanup tip: dice your onion, garlic, and broccoli first, then use the same cutting board to dice the bacon)
- 1 onion, diced
- 1-1.5 lb broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
- 5-6 large cloves garlic, minced (or use 3-4 tablespoons bottled minced garlic)
- 1.5 cups half and half
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (or shredded provolone, freshly grated Parmesan, or Italian blend)
- Optional toppings: red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, fresh basil or parsley (finely minced)
Broccoli and bacon make the best combination, don't they?? If you agree, then check out this loaded broccoli salad with bacon and cranberries!
Equipment
For this recipe, you'll need:
- A large skillet, preferably with a lid
- A large plate with a paper towel to absorb extra bacon drippings
- Tongs and a paper towel to remove extra bacon drippings from the skillet
- A cutting board and knife
- Measuring cups
More broccoli recipes to try: Broccoli Ranch Pasta Salad
Instructions
Step 1: Brown the bacon bits in the skillet over medium heat until cooked to your liking, stirring frequently to prevent burning. We love crunchy bacon, but cook it however you like! Once the bacon has cooked, remove the bacon bits and place on a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb extra grease.
Step 2: Use tongs and a paper towel to absorb about half the bacon grease from the pan—leave just enough to sauté onions.
Step 3: Add the diced onions to greased pan and sauté over medium-low heat for about 3-5 minutes, or until softened.
Step 4: Add the broccoli and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3-5 minutes until the broccoli is vibrant in color and fork tender but just a little firmer than you like (it will cook more in the next step).
Step 5: Reduce heat to low and pour in the half and half. Simmer for 3-5 minutes, until the sauce has thickened a bit and the broccoli is cooked to your liking.
Step 6: Add back the cooked bacon. Top with shredded cheese of your choice. Cover and allow the cheese to melt for a few minutes, or carefully transfer to the oven under the broiler for 1-2 minutes to melt the cheese until it starts turning golden brown.
Step 7: Top with crushed red pepper or herbs, and serve warm.
More broccoli recipes to try: Broccoli Meatballs
Storing and reheating
Once the dish cools down, you can transfer it to a storage container and store closed for up to 2 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a skillet. It might separate a tiny bit (a little liquid might form on top of the thick sauce), but give it a stir and the sauce should come back together. If reheating in a skillet, you might need to add a splash of milk or half and half if the sauce gets too thick.
Love veggies with bacon?? Check out these bacon roasted vegetables!
Turn it into soup
This recipe also makes a great base for a creamy broccoli soup! For soup, I usually like adding more broccoli and 1.5 cups chicken broth. You can use an immersion blender to puree some of the broccoli a bit before adding the shredded cheese and cooked bacon. When adding shredded cheese, add a bit at a time until it melts so it doesn't clump up in the broth.
If you enjoyed this recipe, let me know with a comment and a star rating below. And don't forget to share it on Facebook and save it on Pinterest for later!
Creamy Broccoli and Bacon
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked bacon - (about 8-10 slices), chopped into ½-inch pieces
- 1 onion - diced
- 1-1.5 pound broccoli florets - (fresh or frozen)
- 5-6 large cloves garlic - minced (or use 3-4 tablespoons bottled minced garlic)
- 1.5 cups half and half
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese - (or shredded provolone, freshly grated Parmesan, or Italian blend)
- optional toppings: red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, fresh basil or parsley (finely minced)
Special equipment
- Large skillet with a lid
- Large plate with a paper towel to absorb extra bacon drippings
- Tongs and a paper towel to remove extra bacon drippings from the skillet
- Cutting board and knife
- Measuring cups
Instructions
- Brown the bacon bits in the skillet over medium heat until cooked to your liking, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Once the bacon has cooked, remove the bacon bits and place on a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb extra grease.1 cup uncooked bacon
- Use tongs and a paper towel to absorb about half the bacon grease from the pan—leave just enough to sauté onions.
- Add the diced onions to greased pan and sauté over medium-low heat for about 3-5 minutes, or until softened.1 onion
- Add the broccoli and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3-5 minutes until the broccoli is vibrant in color and fork tender but just a little firmer than you like (it will cook more in the next step).5-6 large cloves garlic, 1-1.5 pound broccoli florets
- Reduce heat to low and pour in the half and half. Simmer for 3-5 minutes, until the sauce has thickened a bit and the broccoli is cooked to your liking.1.5 cups half and half
- Add back the cooked bacon. Top with shredded cheese of your choice. Cover and allow the cheese to melt for a few minutes, or carefully transfer to the oven under the broiler for 1-2 minutes to melt the cheese until it starts turning golden brown.1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Top with crushed red pepper or herbs, and serve warm.
Nutrition
The nutritional information displayed is an estimate and not to be used as dietary or nutritional advice. Consult a nutritionist or dietician for nutritional info based on the exact ingredients you use.