Description

This Creamy Garlic Parmesan Broccoli with Bacon recipe features tender broccoli and crispy bacon cooked in a luscious garlic parmesan cream sauce. Perfect for quick dinners or as a flavorful side dish, it’s gluten-free, keto-friendly, and low-carb. The dish is cooked in a single skillet and finished off in the oven to create a bubbly, cheesy topping with a golden crust.

Ingredients

Scale

Meat

5oz (150g) bacon, cut into strips

Vegetables

2 pounds (1kg) broccoli florets
5 cloves garlic, minced

Dairy & Cream

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup (180ml) heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons cream cheese
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grated mozzarella

Other

1/4 cup (60ml) chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 teaspoon salt and fresh cracked pepper
1 teaspoon paprika

Instructions

Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) to prepare for baking the final dish.
Cook Bacon: Fry the bacon strips in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon using a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain excess fat.
Sauté Broccoli: Drain most bacon fat from the skillet, leaving about 1 tablespoon. Melt butter in the same skillet. Add broccoli florets and season with salt and pepper. Scrape up browned bacon bits and cook while stirring occasionally for about 6 minutes.
Add Garlic and Cream Sauce: Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add heavy cream, softened cream cheese, chicken stock, half the grated parmesan and mozzarella, and paprika. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 3-4 minutes until tender and sauce is smooth.
Combine Bacon: Add the cooked bacon back into the skillet and mix well to combine flavors.
Top with Cheese: Sprinkle the remaining parmesan and mozzarella evenly over the top of the broccoli and bacon mixture.
Bake: Place the skillet in the preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes until cheese is bubbly and broccoli is cooked to your liking. For a crispier top, broil for the last 2 minutes.
Final Touches and Serve: Remove from oven, season with extra pepper, and garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired. Serve warm and enjoy!

Notes

For extra tender broccoli, blanch florets in boiling water for 3 minutes before sautéing.
This creamy Parmesan sauce also works well with other vegetables such as cauliflower, carrots, or Brussels sprouts.
Frozen steamable broccoli can be used; cook according to package instructions, drain well, then proceed with recipe.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat gently with a few drops of water to loosen the sauce.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Category: Side Dish
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: cream garlic parmesan broccoli bacon, creamy broccoli recipe, bacon side dish, low carb broccoli bacon, keto broccoli recipe, cheesy broccoli with bacon, easy broccoli recipe