Creamy Collard Greens with Bacon | Side Dish Recipe (2024)

Do you want to upgrade your basic collard greens recipe for something more flavorful and utterly irresistible?

The holidays are just around the corner, and if you’re looking for the perfect side dish, our creamy collard greens should be on your menu.

Read on to see how we make creamy collard greens with a twist and lots of crispy, thick-cut bacon.

Creamy Collard Greens with Bacon

This one is a game-changer! No joke! This has got to be one of the absolute best collard greens recipes EVA’!

And we apologize in advance because if you’re watching your waistline and your caloric intake, then consider this your cheat day.

This is one decadent and indulgent side dish that eats like an entrée.

These most certainly aren’t your mama’s collard recipe, and that’s no disrespect to anybody’s ma’dukes.

I am of the opinion that there is more than one way to up your collard greens game.

Our creamy collard greens have a few other ingredients that make this collard green recipe stand apart from all of the rest!

This recipe has collard greens, onions, celery, and garlic.

Did I mention bacon? This recipe uses a cup of thick-cut bacon, but feel free to add as much or as little as you want.

When you layer all these wonderful ingredients together, you get a side dish that might steal the spotlight.

All eyes may remain wide open during the saying of grace because this one’s a looker for sure, and it knows it.

Let’s give it up for those arrogant sides! Enjoy!

What You Will Need

Greens. I like using collard greens but feel free to use a combination of collards, turnips, or mustard greens. I have also used a pound of Tuscan kale and a pound of collard greens in previous variations of this dish.

Thick-Cut Bacon. There’s nothing like thick-cut bacon, and this recipe calls for a cup of crispy chopped bacon. Also, turkey bacon works also. And if you don’t care for bacon, I have also used garlicky sautéed shrimp, scallops, chorizo, chopped Italian sausage, and pan-fried pancetta. Basically, you have options.

Celery, Onions, and Garlic. Adding a mirepoix of classic basic ingredients like celery, onions, and garlic builds layers and flavors.

Flour, Butter, and Olive Oil. All these ingredients join forces to make the roux, and you’ll be glad they did. Protip. After making the bacon, reserve some of the bacon dripping to make the roux next level flavorful.

Hot Old Bay Seasoning, Smoked Paprika, Sea Salt, and Freshly Cracked Black Peppercorns. The Hot Old Bay seasoning combined with the smoked paprika creates a savory, smoky lightweight heat that’s barely a whisper, but you will enjoy how it elevates this side-dish much further than its humble origins. And, of course, add sea salt and freshly cracked black peppercorns to taste.

Heavy Cream. Whole Milk. This recipe gets creamy by adding heavy cream and whole milk, and this duo goes a long way to make this recipe one to remember. If you want to cut down on dairy, replace the heavy cream with unsweetened coconut milk and substitute the whole for almond milk.

Green Onion. I love adding fresh green onion to the finished dish; it adds freshness. The crisp green onion compliments the tinder greens and crispy thick-cut bacon.

Creamy Collard Greens with Bacon

Ingredients:

Serves 10

• 2 1/2 pounds washed and roughly chopped collard greens
• 3 large cloves of garlic minced
• 1 cup sweet onions, chopped
• 1 large rib of celery sliced
• 3 tablespoons of reserved bacon drippings or 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon Hot Old Bay seasoning
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
• 1 teaspoon sea salt or Kosher salt
• 1 teaspoonfreshly cracked black peppercorns
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1-pint heavy cream
• 1 cup of crispy thick-cut bacon, chopped
• 1 cup green onion, cut

How to cook bacon in the oven:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil, arrange 6-8 strips of thick-cut bacon in a row and bake until crispy, 20-25 minutes.
3. Remove the sheet pan from the oven and use a pair of tongs to transfer the crispy bacon onto a platter or plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess grease. Reserve three tablespoons of bacon grease (optional). Set aside.

Directions:

1. Add the collard greens over medium-high heat and 6 cups of water in a large stockpot. Blanche the collard greens until they are bright green in about 5-minutes.
2. Place a large skillet over med-high heat. Add the bacon drippings, three tablespoons of olive oil, and two tablespoons of unsalted butter. When the olive oil and butter mixture has melted, add the flour and cook until the roux is light blond color.
3. Whisk in the heavy cream and whole milk, reduce the heat to low, then add the Hot Old Bay seasoning, smoked paprika, sea salt, and freshly cracked black peppercorns. Whisk until the seasoning until thoroughly mixed.
4. Add the chopped collard green, onions, and celery. Stir to mix, then place a lid over the skillet and simmer on low heat, stirring often, until the greens are tender and the sauce thickens.
5. When the greens, especially the stems, are tender, turn off the heat and move the skillet to the cool side of the oven.
6. Top the creamy collard greens with the thick-cut bacon and green onions.
7. Serve.

What exactly are collard greens?

Collard greens are the tougher leaf portion of the stem. You can find kale, mustard, or even cabbage has collard greens.

They can offer a bitter taste, but once they are cooked properly, you will find the flavor is incredible.

Are collard greens healthy?

Collard greens are loaded with vitamin K, which is great for your body.

But you will find the other ingredients you use when cooking your greens can affect how healthy they are for you.

So depending, how you prep and serve will depend on the nutritional value.

How do you prep collard greens

It is important to soak or wash your greens well. Some like to soak them in cold water. It is up to you what you want to do.

They are notorious for having a gritty texture if they are not fully cleaned.

So make sure to wash them well to get the proper texture.

Another trick is to use salt to scrub the leaves. This can help eliminate dirt, sand, or debris on the leaves.

Then you will dice up your greens to fit the recipe.

We roughly chopped ours, so it had a nice size but was bite-size once it wilted down.

Storing Leftovers

You can store your collards leftover in an airtight container in the fridge. They will store for 2-3 days and then must be tossed.

The bacon in the dish will cause the greens to go bad quicker.

You can eat leftovers cold or warm them up in the microwave or in a casserole dish covered in the oven.

Be sure to check out some of our other holidayfavorites:

• Easy Cornbread Dressing Recipe
• 50+ of the Best Thanksgiving Side Dishes
• Creamy Potato Recipe With Alfredo Sauce

Published 11/2016 | Updated 11/2020