Tuscan Mushrooms Bacon (Print-Friendly Version)
Juicy mushrooms cooked down in creamy garlic butter, crispy bacon, tomatoes, and bits of spinach. The ultimate crowd-pleasing side.
# Ingredients List:
→ Main Ingredients
01 -
3 cups fresh spinach
02 -
1/2 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
03 -
1 cup heavy cream
04 -
1 pinch red pepper flakes
05 -
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
06 -
1 teaspoon salt
07 -
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
08 -
1 tablespoon tomato paste
09 -
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
10 -
1 cup white wine or chicken broth
11 -
1 teaspoon minced garlic
12 -
1 medium onion, diced
13 -
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
14 -
1 pound baby Bella mushrooms, washed and dried
15 -
4 slices thick-cut bacon
# Detailed Cooking Steps:
01 -
Spoon it out right away, either as a punchy side or loaded up over some hot pasta or mashed potatoes.
02 -
Turn the burner even lower and slowly mix in the cream and Parmesan. Keep stirring so everything melts together. Toss in the spinach plus the chopped up bacon. Mix just long enough until the greens collapse.
03 -
Toss the cleaned mushrooms into your sauce. Coat them all over and gently bubble on low heat about five minutes.
04 -
Squeeze in tomato paste and mix until it’s gone into everything. Drop in the halved tomatoes, black pepper, salt, Italian stuff, and a pinch of chili flakes. Let this stew gently till the tomatoes break down a bit.
05 -
Pour your splash of wine or broth into the pan. Scrape up all those delicious browned specks on the bottom so you don’t leave any behind.
06 -
Plonk the butter into those bacon drippings and let it melt as you scrape any stuck bits. Toss in chopped onion, let it sweat a while. Add garlic last and stir just until it smells awesome and golden.
07 -
Fry bacon strips in your big pan on medium until they're crispy. Set the bacon on some paper towels to blot up grease, chop them up. Leave most of the bacon fat in your pan—scoop out just enough so only a little remains.
# Helpful Hints:
01 -
You’ll get the richest taste if you cook your veggies in leftover bacon fat, and don’t forget to scrape up every bit stuck to the pan.