Hold me Bacon. Yes I love you that much. If you haven’t checked out U.S. Wellness Meats yet for their Sugar Free Pork Bacon slices, you seriously must. It’s so good though that you have to sign up for restocking notices because they sell out immediately! I’m sure I’m not hurting their business by buying 6 lbs at a time. It’s just really good okay?
So when I do have their bacon available I’m guilty of cooking everything with it. The fat renders so clear and perfect that I like to cook everything I can in it. And here’s another secret about bacon: it takes the “bite” out of some of the more “biting” dark leafy greens out there, like broccoli rabe.
I like broccoli rabe, but pickier eaters aren’t always so fond of it because it sure as heck can taste pretty “green.” Enter bacon and a few seasonings and poof! Like magic it tastes a trillion times more picky-eater-friendly. I’m not about to brag that my kids will eat this because they won’t (they will stick to regular broccoli with butter thank-you-very-much) but I think my husband ate it and that counts. Although I didn’t actually see him eat it, he claims he did and he also said it’s worth blogging. So here you go husband, maybe you’ll even make this for me one day? Can somebody forward this to him because I don’t think he opens my emails…
Simple Side Dish Recipe: Bacon Broccoli Rabe
Ingredients
- 1 head of broccoli rabe thick stems removed and roughly chopped into 2-3 inch sections
- fine grain sea salt
- 6 slices thick nitrate free bacon, cut into 2 inch pieces
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp pizza seasoning mine was Frontier brand
Instructions
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Put a med-large pot of water seasoned with fine-grain sea salt on high heat to boil
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In a large saute pan, cook the bacon over med-high heat until mostly cooked (not too crisp because you will cook the broccoli rabe with it shortly)
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Drain a couple of tbsp of the rendered bacon fat (I recommend saving for later use!) and set the saute pan aside
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When the water comes to a boil, add the broccoli rabe and cook for 1 minute. Drain in a collander and immediately rinse with cold water. Then squeeze excess moisture out with paper towels (don't go nuts with this!)
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Return the saute pan with the bacon and rendered fat to med heat and add the broccoli rabe. Add the onion powder, pizza seasoning, and sea salt to taste and stir while cooking for about 5 minutes, or until the broccoli rabe and bacon are both cooked to preference. If desired or needed, add a bit more of the rendered fat from the bacon while cooking.
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Serve with anything you want! Works perfectly as a side dish for anything, or you can toss with veggies noodles or spaghetti squash for a paleo "pasta" dish.
Then after you eat make your husband clean the dishes because dammit he doesn’t have to know this was easy. Look, you made bacon and that means you’re a good wife who deserves a break.
Yum! I am always looking for different side dishes to mix up our weekly meals with. I tend to reach for the traditional broccoli at the store, but think I need to look for some rabe this weekend. I’m sure it has a slightly different nutritional profile from broccoli too and will give me a some different vitamins and minerals. Thanks for this quick dish idea.
Yes, it’s more of a leafy green than broccoli like and tastes very different. Hope you enjoy it 🙂
I”m not a big fan of just steamed broccoli, but I love me some bacon. This looks like a great combo and maybe my kiddos will eat it without all the complaining. Wishful thinking, I know.
Haha! My kids don’t eat broccoli rabe but regular broccoli they actually like. Cooked veggies are tough with kids in general so I’ve mostly given up and stick to raw for them.
You’ve explained your views with confidence and respect. zeusbola
Thasnskd
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