Effortless Creamy Broccoli with Bacon Alfredo features tender broccoli florets simmered in a smooth, rich Alfredo sauce, garnished with crispy bacon bits. Simple ingredients come together in your skillet under 30 minutes, delivering restaurant-quality taste without the fuss for a weeknight meal or a weekend brunch.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
The creamy Alfredo sauce is rich and flavorful, and the bacon adds a smoky, salty touch. The broccoli is cooked just right, so it's still bright and green. You can serve this creamy broccoli Alfredo recipe as a side dish, a main course, or even a breakfast dish.
- Delicious. The creamy Alfredo sauce is rich and flavorful, and the bacon adds a smoky, salty touch. The broccoli is cooked just right, so it's still bright and green.
- Easy to make. All you need is a few simple ingredients and a cast iron skillet for this broccoli with bacon side dish.
- Versatile. You can adjust the amount of bacon and broccoli to your liking. You can also add other ingredients, such as cheese, mushrooms, or onions.
Ingredients You'll Need
Broccoli is a budget friendly and nutritious vegetable that can be enjoyed in many different ways. One of our favorite ways to eat broccoli is in a creamy Alfredo sauce with bacon. This dish is a quick recipe you can have on the table in just minutes.
- Bacon - Chopped.
- Onion - Diced.
- Garlic - Minced, fresh or bottled.
- Heavy cream - You can also use Half & Half for lower calories.
- Broccoli florets - Fresh or defrosted frozen broccoli florets.
- Mozzarella - Shredded.
- Salt - To taste.
- Pepper - To taste.
- Crushed red pepper flakes - Optional garnish.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How To Make Creamy Broccoli with Bacon
When using frozen broccoli florets, be sure to defrost them before adding to the skillet. This recipe calls for shredded Mozzarella cheese, but Parmesan is also wonderful too.
Saute The Bacon and Onions
- Using a cast iron or heavy skillet, brown your bacon in the skillet over medium high heat.
- Once the bacon is as crisp as you like, transfer to paper towels to drain excess fat off.
- Add the onions to the bacon grease and saute until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes.
Cook Broccoli Al Dente
- Next, add the fresh or defrosted broccoli florets and the minced garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the broccoli is vibrant green and just barely fork tender.
Make The Alfredo Sauce
- Pour the heavy cream into the skillet and reduce the heat to low.
- Simmer for 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
- Add the crisp, cooked bacon to the skillet of broccoli and sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Thicken and Serve
- Top with the shredded Mozzarella or Parmesan cheese. Allow the cheese to melt for a few minutes or stick under the oven broiler until the cheese is golden brown.
- Garnish with a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes and serve immediately.
Serving Suggestions
This creamy broccoli side dish is delicious by itself, but you can also serve it with pasta tossed in, on top of our Steamed Whit Rice, or with a side of bread for a hearty meal.
Related Recipes
- Panda Express Beef and Broccoli
- Walmart Broccoli Salad
- Cajun Chicken and Shrimp Alfredo
- Cajun Salmon Alfredo
- Spaghetti Alfredo Bake
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few substitutions and variations using this recipe as a base:
- Add a splash of white wine to the sauce for extra depth of flavor.
- Instead of bacon, you can use Pancetta, ham, or sausage.
- You can substitute other vegetables for the broccoli, such as cauliflower, asparagus, or spinach.
- Add other ingredients to the sauce, such as mushrooms, black olives, or sun-dried tomatoes.
- If you're looking for a vegetarian version of this dish, you can omit the bacon or substitute a plant-based bacon.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Below are some of my favorite pieces of equipment that I use when making this broccoli with bacon dish.
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- Cast Iron Skillet, 9"
- Wooden Spoons
Storage Options
- Cover and store leftover broccoli Alfredo in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- You can also freeze for up to 2 months.
- To reheat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat it in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through.
- Creamy broccoli with bacon is also easy to make ahead of time. Simply cook the broccoli and bacon, and then store the sauce separately. When you're ready to eat, simply reheat the broccoli and bacon, and then add the sauce.
Tips for Success
- When using milk or fat free cream, you may need to add a tablespoon of cornstarch for thickening.
- Don't over cook the broccoli, 3 to 5 minutes with the onions, and another 3 to 5 minutes to simmer in the sauce and melt the cheese will give you vibrant green broccoli that is fork tender.
- Keep heat to low after you add the cream so you don't scorch it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this creamy bacon and broccoli recipe is Keto qualified, as long as you keep track of the carbs in the onions.
Yes, you can make this dish in any type of skillet. However, a cast iron skillet will give the dish a richer flavor from cooking the bacon and scraping up the bit from the cast iron skillet bottom.
Yes, you can use low-fat or fat-free cream. You can shave quite a few calories off the serving this way.
Yes, you can make this broccoli Alfredo recipe without bacon. To do this, simply omit the bacon from the recipe. You can also substitute cooked chicken or sausage for the bacon.
More Delish Ideas
Creamy Broccoli with Bacon Alfredo
Ingredients
- 4 oz bacon diced
- 1 onion diced
- 1 lb broccoli florets fresh, or defrosted frozen
- 1½ cup heavy cream or half & half if preferred
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup Mozzarella shredded
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Using a cast iron or heavy skillet, brown your bacon in the skillet over medium high heat.4 oz bacon
- Once the bacon is as crisp as you like, transfer to paper towels to drain excess fat off.
- Add the onions to the bacon grease and saute until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes.1 onion
- Next, add the fresh or defrosted broccoli florets and the minced garlic. Cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the broccoli is vibrant green and just barely fork tender.1 lb broccoli florets, 5 cloves garlic
- Pour the heavy cream into the skillet and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 3-5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.1½ cup heavy cream
- Add the crisp, cooked bacon to the skillet of broccoli and sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Top with the shredded Mozzarella or Parmesan cheese. Allow the cheese to melt for a few minutes or stick under the oven broiler until the cheese is golden brown.1 cup Mozzarella
- Garnish with a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes and serve immediately.1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Notes
- When using milk or fat free cream, you may need to add a tablespoon of cornstarch for thickening.
- Don't over cook the broccoli, 3 to 5 minutes with the onions, and another 3 to 5 minutes to simmer in the sauce and melt the cheese will give you vibrant green broccoli that is fork tender.
- Keep heat to low after you add the cream so you don't scorch it.
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