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, indulgent side dish that tastes like an entrée.
These most certainly aren’t your mama’s collard recipe, and that’s no disrespect to anybody’s ma’dukes.
I believe there is more than one way to up your collard greens game.
Our creamy collard greens have a few other ingredients that set this collard green recipe apart from the rest!
This recipe has collard greens, onions, celery, and garlic.
Did I mention bacon? This recipe calls for a cup of thick-cut bacon, but feel free to add as much or as little as you like.
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 it, chopped and crispy. Also, turkey bacon works. 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 adds layers of flavor.
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 drippings 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, light-to-moderate heat that’s barely a whisper, but you will enjoy how it elevates this side dish far beyond its humble origins. And, of course, add sea salt and freshly cracked black peppercorns to taste.
Heavy Cream. Whole Milk. This recipe gets creamy with heavy cream and whole milk, and this duo goes a long way toward making it one to remember. If you want to cut down on dairy, replace the heavy cream with unsweetened coconut milk and substitute the whole milk for almond milk.
Green Onion. I love adding fresh green onions to the finished dish; it adds freshness. The crisp green onion complements the tender 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 (plus an additional 2 teaspoons for cooking the greens)
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black peppercorns
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 pint heavy cream
- 1 cup of crispy thick-cut bacon, chopped
How to cook bacon in the oven:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- 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.
- 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). Rough chop the bacon strips and set aside.
Directions:
- Add the collard greens to a large stockpot over medium-high heat with 6 cups of water and 1-2 teaspoons of Kosher salt. Blanch the collard greens until they are bright green, about 5 minutes. Drain thoroughly and set aside while you make the roux.
- Place a large skillet (12-inch) over medium-high heat. Add the bacon drippings (OR 3 tablespoons olive oil) and 4 tablespoons unsalted butter. When the olive oil and butter mixture has melted, add the flour and cook until the roux is a light blond color.
- 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 the seasoning until thoroughly mixed.
- Add the chopped collard greens, onions, garlic, 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. (About 20-30 minutes or until greens are tender)
- When the greens, especially the stems, are tender, turn off the heat and move the skillet to the cool side of the oven.
- Top the creamy collard greens with the chopped thick-cut bacon and cut green onions.
- Serve.
What exactly are collard greens?
Collard greens are the tougher, leafy portion of the plant. You can find kale, mustard, or even cabbage has collard greens.
They can be bitter, but once cooked properly, you will find the flavor is incredible.
Are collard greens healthy?
Collard greens are rich in vitamin K, which is good for your body.
But you will find that the other ingredients you use when cooking your greens can affect their nutritional value.
So, 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 when 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, and other debris from the leaves.
Then you will dice up your greens to fit the recipe.
We roughly chopped ours, so it was a nice size but bite-sized once it wilted.
Storing Leftovers
You can store your collard leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. They will keep for 2-3 days, then must be tossed.
The bacon in the dish will cause the greens to go bad quickly.
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 holiday favorites:
- Spicy Thanksgiving Turkey & Dressing Sandwich
- Cornbread Dressing Recipe
- Best Thanksgiving Side Dishes
- Creamy Potato Recipe With Alfredo Sauce
- Hard Cherry Cider Cocktail
- Collard Green & Chopped Turkey Wraps
Creamy Collard Greens
Ingredients
- 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 plus an additional 2 teaspoons for cooking the greens
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black peppercorns
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 pint heavy cream
- 1 cup of crispy thick-cut bacon chopped
- 1 cup green onions cut
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- 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.
- 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). Rough chop the bacon strips and set aside.
- Add the collard greens to a large stockpot over medium-high heat with 6 cups of water and 1-2 teaspoons of Kosher salt. Blanch the collard greens until they are bright green, about 5 minutes. Drain thoroughly and set aside while you make the roux.
- Place a large skillet (12-inch) over medium-high heat. Add the bacon drippings (OR 3 tablespoons olive oil) and 4 tablespoons unsalted butter. When the olive oil and butter mixture has melted, add the flour and cook until the roux is a light blond color.
- 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 the seasoning until thoroughly mixed.
- Add the chopped collard greens, onions, garlic 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. (About 20-30 minutes or until greens are tender)
- When the greens, especially the stems, are tender, turn off the heat and move the skillet to the cool side of the oven.
- Top the creamy collard greens with the chopped thick-cut bacon and cut green onions.
- Serve.
Published 11/2016 | Updated 11/2020
Alisa Smith says
I’ve been making this recipe for years for our family New Years Day celebration. It pairs perfectly with black eyed peas and corn bread. It’s become quite the family favorite.