• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Cafe Delites

for good food lovers

  • Recipe Index
  • About Me
    • BOOKS
  • Contact Me
    • Policies
      • Disclaimer
      • Copyright
    • MEDIA
You are here: Home / Recipes / Creamy Broccoli & Bacon

By Karina 45 Comments Filed Under: Low Carb

Creamy Broccoli & Bacon

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Creamy Broccoli & Bacon in a Garlic Parmesan sauce is a delicious broccoli recipe and side dish!

Pan fried broccoli and crispy bacon are baked in a cheesy creamy parmesan garlic sauce topped with bubbling mozzarella. Creamy Garlic Parmesan Broccoli is guaranteed to convert ANY non-vegetable lover to fall head over heels! And bonus? It’s Keto approved and low carb!

Broccoli Casserole baked in a cheesy creamy parmesan garlic sauce topped with bubbling mozzarella! Keto approved and low carb! | cafedelites.com

BROCCOLI

With the Brussels Sprouts version doing the rounds all over the place, a lot of readers have been writing in asking if they can change the sprouts to broccoli. The funny thing is, this is a recipe I grew up with and pretty much one of the only ways we loved broccoli.

She would make a white sauce from scratch with butter and flour, etc, but to keep us sane in a low carb world, I’ve altered the recipe slightly for gluten free and low carb followers. Also, this version is so much easier.

Creamy Broccoli and Bacon | cafedelites.com

WHAT YOU NEED

This broccoli recipe has everything you love!

  • Bacon ✔
  • Butter ✔
  • Garlic ✔
  • Cream ✔
  • Mozzarella Cheese ✔
  • Parmesan Cheese ✔

HOW TO COOK BROCCOLI

Fry the bacon in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat until crispy.
Use some of the bacon fat for added flavour to cook the onion.
Scrape up any browned bits leftover from the bacon and add the broccoli.
Sauté garlic with the broccoli for until fragrant.
Pour in the cream, add the bacon back in.
Top with the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses and broil until cheese is bubbling and golden.

Broccoli Casserole | cafedelites.com

TENDER-CRISP BROCCOLI

The way you cook your broccoli is a personal thing and this recipe is really forgiving in that way. Simmer it in the cream sauce for only 2-3 minutes before broiling in the oven. Remember, the longer you cook it, the softer it gets.

SOFT BROCCOLI

For softer broccoli, simmer for at least 6 minutes in the sauce before broiling. You can also cover with a lid for a minute or two to ensure softer broccoli pieces.

Broccoli Casserole baked in a cheesy creamy parmesan garlic sauce topped with bubbling mozzarella! Keto approved and low carb! | cafedelites.com

CREAM SAUCE

No flour or béchamel sauce needed. For readers using a reduced fat or light cream, you have the option to thicken the sauce with a cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with water before adding into the sauce). However, if you use heavy cream you won’t need to thicken it. Just simmer it until reaching your desired thickness.

You can also swap out mozzarella cheese for other cheese. Some options include Provolone, White Cheddar, Gruyere, or even Swiss. A pimped out version of Broccoli Cheese Soup.

BROCCOLI RECIPE ON VIDEO!

MORE BROCCOLI RECIPES

Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup
Sheet Pan Garlic Parmesan Roasted Broccoli & Green Beans
Mongolian Beef And Broccoli
Crispy Broccoli Parmesan Fritters
Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Pumpkin Alfredo

Creamy Garlic Parmesan Broccoli & Bacon | cafedelites.com

Creamy Garlic Parmesan Broccoli & Bacon

Creamy Garlic Parmesan Broccoli & Bacon is an unforgettable side dish! Pan fried broccoli and crispy bacon are baked in a cheesy creamy parmesan garlic sauce! Topped with bubbling mozzarella, this recipe is guaranteed to convert ANY non-vegetable lover to fall head over heels! And bonus? It’s low carb!
PRINT SAVE go to your favorites
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 30 mins
Serves: 8 people

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces (250 g) bacon roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 onion diced
  • 5 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups (400 ml) light cream (or for a richer sauce, you can use heavy or thickened cream)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water cornstarch slurry
  • 1 pound (500 g) broccoli florets, from 2-3 broccoli heads -- stems removed
  • Salt and pepper to season
  • 1/2 cup fresh shredded or grated mozzarella
  • 1/3 cup fresh shredded or grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • Preheat broiler (on medium heat of you have the option).
  • Fry the bacon in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat until crispy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a paper towel lined plate to soak up some of the oil. Set aside.
  • Drain most of the bacon fat from the pan, leaving about 1-2 tablespoons for added flavour (adjust this amount to your liking). In the same pan, melt the butter, add the onion and cook until transparent (about 2 minutes), while scraping up any browned bits leftover from the bacon. Add the broccoli and season with salt and pepper and cook while stirring occasionally for about 3 minutes, or until just turning vibrant in colour.
  • Add in the garlic and stir it through the broccoli for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Pour in the cream, reduce heat down to low and let simmer for about 3-4 while stirring occasionally, or until the sauce thickens to your liking* (SEE NOTES) 
    (If sauce is too thin, stir in the cornstarch slurry to combine.)
  • Add the bacon and give everything a good mix to combine all of the flavours together. Top with the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. Broil until cheese is bubbling and golden, and broccoli is done to your liking (about 2-3 minutes). 
  • Season with a little extra pepper, if desired, before serving. You can also sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley, thyme or rosemary.

Notes

*For tender-crisp broccoli, simmer it in the cream sauce for 3 minutes before broiling in the oven. Remember, the longer you cook it, the softer it gets.
*For softer broccoli, simmer for at least 5-6 minutes in the sauce before broiling. You can also cover with a lid for a minute or two to ensure softer broccoli pieces.

Nutrition

Calories: 339kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 330mg | Potassium: 317mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 975IU | Vitamin C: 52.5mg | Calcium: 167mg | Iron: 0.6mg
« Shrimp Boil
Chicken Corn Chowder »

Subscribe to Cafe Delites FOR FREE and Receive Recipes Straight Into Your Inbox!

Image of a white plate with Chili Garlic Butter Shrimp in a buttery sauce
Artisan Bread in a dutch oven pot | cafedelites.com
Sautéed Green Beans | cafedelites.com
The best, juicy roast Beef Tenderloin slathered with garlic butter that melts in your mouth with every bite! Even better when served with a rich and rustic, easy to make red wine sauce (or jus) | cafedelites.com
Crock Pot Honey Garlic Chicken | cafedelites.com

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sheila says

    November 18, 2020 at 10:51 am

    It was delicious. I’ll recommend this to a lot of my friends. Love i

    Reply
  2. Stacey says

    September 08, 2020 at 8:36 am

    5 stars
    This was amazing!! I will definitely make it again.

    Reply
  3. tonya says

    April 28, 2020 at 9:06 am

    5 stars
    Sooooo Delicious
    We got a new dish to add to our favorites. The entire family loved it. Was scared that the broccoli would be mushy but it was perfect. Thanks Cafe Delites

    Reply
  4. Lacey says

    April 27, 2020 at 11:52 am

    Just made this for the first time for dinner and it was amazing! Think next time I will add chicken and make it a complete meal.

    Reply
  5. becci says

    March 23, 2020 at 6:18 pm

    Hi I’m going to have a go at this. Could I have some ideas as to what to serve it with. I will be making as a main course
    Thanks

    Reply
    • melamia says

      July 05, 2020 at 3:36 am

      5 stars
      I tweeked by adding string beans and peas. I also made more sauce and served it over spaghetti. It was delicious.

      Reply
  6. Linda says

    January 15, 2020 at 9:33 am

    5 stars
    I added some chopped chicken and served over cauliflower rice. It was delicious.

    Reply
  7. MsWinnipeg says

    January 13, 2020 at 1:51 am

    Can you use frozen broccoli?

    Reply
  8. Julie says

    October 09, 2019 at 11:43 am

    5 stars
    Oh this was so good! I put about 1/3 of a bar of cream cheese in that helps it thicken up, I also used the heavy cream. I had some mushrooms that needed to be used, threw those in too. Excellent!

    Reply
  9. Renee McCartney says

    July 14, 2019 at 8:36 am

    5 stars
    This dish is a winner! I highly recommend for Keto deliciousness! Thank you for shaing.

    Reply
  10. KetoJim says

    May 20, 2019 at 7:48 am

    Made this tonight and it was amazing!! I added cubes of chicken breast and cooked it in the bacon grease. Then did everything else the same. AMAZING!!!! Thank you.

    Reply
  11. Karyn says

    February 25, 2019 at 9:49 am

    5 stars
    I added leftover shredded chicken and a half cup more cream. ♥️♥️♥️ This will definitely be made again!!

    Reply
  12. Adriana Alfaro says

    February 01, 2019 at 2:41 am

    5 stars
    Made this last night as a main dish as part of my low carb diet. It was delicious! I used heavy cream and so didn’t need the cornstarch slurry and it came out just fine. I didn’t have to make any adjustments to the recipe. Really easy to throw together and I have leftovers for lunch! This site is continuing to be my go-to for new recipes.

    Reply
  13. Tausha says

    January 07, 2019 at 1:12 pm

    5 stars
    What is the serving size for the nutrition facts you have listed? I made this and I absolutely love love love it. Thank you so much for sharing this great recipe!

    Reply
    • Karina says

      January 08, 2019 at 9:51 pm

      Hi Tasha,

      About a cup.

      Reply
  14. TRINA M ROUFS says

    December 26, 2018 at 12:56 pm

    5 stars
    Just made this for Christmas dinner and everyone loved it. On here to print off copies to send home!

    Reply
  15. Katie says

    December 21, 2018 at 8:38 pm

    How do you think this would pair on top of a baked potato?

    Reply
    • Karina says

      December 21, 2018 at 9:55 pm

      Deliciously! YUM!

      Reply
    • Leah says

      March 31, 2020 at 4:34 pm

      Deliciously

      Reply
  16. Celisa says

    December 13, 2018 at 6:19 am

    Can I use milk instead of cream??

    Reply
    • Karina says

      December 14, 2018 at 8:10 pm

      Hello Celisa,

      Yes, you can use milk as a substitute but it will not be as thick as it would with cream and it could change how rich it is. Please let me know how it goes. Thanks for following along! xo

      Reply
  17. Mariko Irving says

    December 02, 2018 at 3:56 pm

    As a person who suffers from onion allergies (weird, I know), can the onions be omitted and it still taste fine?

    Reply
    • Karina says

      December 06, 2018 at 9:19 pm

      Yes! That is not a problem at all. I am so sorry that you have an allergy to onions! It will still taste great! XO

      Reply
  18. Yuwie says

    November 05, 2018 at 11:51 am

    Can you make this ahead and freeze it? Or at least do everything then broil it?

    Reply
    • Karina says

      November 07, 2018 at 6:47 pm

      Yes, that should work great! Let me know how it turns out! XO

      Reply
  19. Marjorie says

    October 27, 2018 at 12:43 pm

    5 stars
    I made this dish tonight for dinner with meat loaf And it was fantastic can’t wait to make it again

    Reply
    • NORMA AGUILAR says

      October 31, 2018 at 12:17 am

      What cream did you use?

      Reply
  20. Susan Wagoner says

    October 20, 2018 at 7:21 am

    5 stars
    What kind of bacon is it that you use? Is there a certain brand? Does it come in a package already cut up like you have it?

    Reply
    • Karina says

      October 26, 2018 at 7:09 pm

      I like to use a thick bacon to cook. You can use the precooked bacon if that is quicker. Enjoy! XO

      Reply
  21. Gayle says

    October 18, 2018 at 4:26 pm

    5 stars
    Wow! This is one of the best dishes I’ve ever made! Thank you for creating this and for posting it! It is SOOO good! I know you have it listed as a “side” dish, but I made it as a main dish, so our serving sizes were a bit larger than yours, but oh SO good!!! 🙂

    Reply
    • Karina says

      October 19, 2018 at 12:07 am

      That is awesome! I am so glad that you loved it! That sounds so good! Thanks for following along with me! XO

      Reply
  22. Tara says

    October 11, 2018 at 5:04 pm

    How can I. Make this keto friendly? The cheesy bacon broccoli with parmesan & mozzarella?

    Reply
    • Shary says

      December 05, 2018 at 3:32 pm

      iT’S ALREADY KETO FRIENDLY

      Reply
  23. Elaine says

    October 10, 2018 at 8:41 am

    5 stars
    This was quite yummy! I halved the recipe because I’m the only one in the house who eats broccoli. Yes, I made it just for myself. I served it over rice pilaf and it became a main course because of the inclusion of the bacon. I only had half and half and that worked just fine in place of cream, along with the cornstarch slurry. I also doubled the Parmesan cheese (freshly grated, of course) because my mozzarella was moldy. Oops! It tasted just fine with the Parmesan alone. I topped it with some fresh parsley and fresh thyme from my garden.

    Reply
  24. Debbie says

    September 24, 2018 at 10:33 pm

    I made this tonight and it was delicious.

    Reply
  25. Shirley in Fl says

    September 21, 2018 at 2:53 am

    5 stars
    The Brussels Sprouts recipe is wonderful! Can’t wait to show it off for friends. Looking forward to trying the broccoli next. I found that using fresh mozzarella makes a huge difference in sauce. Much creamer & no slurry necessary. Thank you for these great recipes. I Also am crazy for snowpeas. Do you have any suggestions for them?

    Reply
  26. PB says

    August 24, 2018 at 12:09 am

    Can frozen broccoli be used in this recipe?

    Reply
    • Karina says

      August 24, 2018 at 3:32 pm

      Yes, that should work out great! Thanks for choosing one of my recipes! Enjoy!

      Reply
  27. Tiffany says

    June 21, 2018 at 8:48 am

    5 stars
    This was sooooooooo yummy we have started our 5 Star Recipe board with it! We made it with vegetarian bacon so added some oil from a jar of sundried tomatoes. It was lovely. We served it with vego lasagne because hey, you can never have too many cheesy recipes!! Thank you for sharing!!!

    Reply
    • Karina says

      June 21, 2018 at 3:17 pm

      That sounds awesome! I am so glad that you enjoyed it and it turned out great! Thank you so much for following along with me!

      Reply
  28. Kevin Oates says

    June 14, 2018 at 7:54 am

    I’m having trouble locating the ingredients and instructions for the broccoli, garlic, Parmesan, and bacon recipe. Please help because I would love to make this. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Karina says

      June 14, 2018 at 7:58 am

      Hi! I’m so sorry about this. It seems to be a technical issue on mobile only and we are working on it right now. The recipes are on desktop if you need them urgently! Hopefully we will have all recipes up again soon! Thank you for your patience! Karina X

      Reply
  29. Fiorella Barnes says

    June 01, 2018 at 1:18 am

    How can you make this keto friendly?

    Reply
  30. Cynthia Louisos says

    February 24, 2018 at 2:36 am

    I made your CREAMY Brussels sprouts reciepe for company..
    Out of this world
    DELISH, THANK YOU
    CYNTHIA LOUISOS

    Reply
  31. James Johnson says

    February 24, 2018 at 12:25 am

    5 stars
    Excellent easy meals!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

LOOKING FOR A RECIPE? SEARCH HERE!

HEY Good Food Lovers! It’s nice to see you!

Welcome! My name is Karina and this is my internet kitchen hang-out. A self-confessed balanced foodie sharing some waistline friendly recipes that are full of flavour. Life is too short for bland and boring. …

Read More

Connect with Karina – Cafe Delites

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Footer

Subscribe to Cafe Delites FOR FREE and Receive Recipes Straight Into Your Inbox!

CONNECT WITH KARINA – CAFE DELITES

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Archives

Categories

COPYRIGHT © 2023 CAFE DELITES. All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy