Bacon and Jalapeño Broccoli (or Cauliflower)

Everything tastes better with bacon on it...add jalapeño and lime to the mix and then you are really onto something.  This recipe is fantastic with either broccoli or cauliflower...try em both and decide which you like better.  It is a great side for any meat (we love it with steaks or bun-less burgers). 

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Remember when our moms used to add cheese to broccoli to make us want to eat it...try this with your kids (sans jalapeño) and you could have a similar result.  Our kids scarf it up.

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Author Beth Anne Lazaro ∙ Prep 15 mins ∙ Cook 20-25min ∙ Serves 5-7

Ingredients

  • 1 large head/bunch of organic broccoli or 1 head cauliflower

  • 1 jalapeño  

  • 1 garlic clove

  • 1 Tbsp walnut oil 

  • 4 bacon slices 

  • salt and pepper 

  • juice of half of a lime

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425F

  2. Cut the giant stems off the broccoli (or cauliflower), you can keep some little stems if you prefer. Then cut into bite size pieces and add to oven safe dish - I use a 9x13 Pyrex or two smaller more decorative dishes...one for adults (with jalapeño) and one for kids (without).

  3. Thinly slice jalapeño and garlic clove and sprinkle around the dish

  4. Cut 4 pieces of bacon into 1/4-1/2 inch pieces, I use scissors...the smaller the bacon pieces the faster it will cook (we like our bacon crispy!).

  5. Pour walnut oil over everything (in the dish, not your kitchen), make sure all broccoli pieces get some oil loving!

  6. Add a couple of shakes of salt and pepper

  7. Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes, check on it halfway through and stir it around, you want the broccoli to have some crispiness to it and the bacon to be cooked!

  8. When you bring it out of the oven squeeze your lime on it and stir it all around (this is the moment that makes it like Woah!)

Additional Notes

  • I prefer to use walnut oil, but if you don't have that on hand you can use avocado, coconut or olive oil.

  • This recipe is so easy to double, and would be an amazing dish to bring for the Holidays!

  • For kids I keep everything the same, but I take the seeds out of the jalapenos toning down the kick, and I usually separate adult broccoli and kids broccoli

  • Try using purple or yellow cauliflower for a bit more interesting look