When I’m looking for an easy side dish that I know the whole family will love, I turn to favorites such as slow cooker mac and cheese, sauteed brussels sprouts and these smoky, savory collard greens.
Collard Green Ingredients
When you make collard greens with bacon make sure you have bacon, onion, garlic, collard greens, chicken broth, hot sauce, apple cider vinegar, salt and black pepper. These greens are a perfect side dish recipe for main courses like baked chicken wings, Cajun turkey, crock pot ham and slow cooker ribs.
How Do You Make Collard Greens?
To make these Southern collard greens first clean your greens well in cold water. Make sure to remove any dirt or grit. Cut the woody stem out of each piece with a knife, then roughly chop the leaves. Cook diced bacon until crispy, then remove half the bacon to use as garnish. Add onion and garlic to the bacon grease in the pan, and cook until tender. Place the greens in the pot, along with chicken broth and seasonings. Simmer until the greens are very tender. Stir in the hot sauce and vinegar, then garnish with reserved bacon and serve.
Tips For The Perfect Dish
Chop your collard greens into pieces that are about the same size so that they cook in about the same amount of time. You can clean and prep these greens up to three days before you plan to use them. You can also buy a bag of pre-prepared greens to save some time. This dish stays fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe as the greens will be watery when thawed. I recommend serving your greens with cornbread on the side for a fantastic meal.
Flavor Variations
While I love this Southern-style collard greens recipe as written, there are many ways to change up the flavor to customize it to your taste.
Meat: Instead of bacon, try another smoky meat such as ham hocks, diced ham steak or smoked turkey wings. If you use ham hocks or smoked turkey wings, you’ll want to simmer them until tender before you add them to the greens. Be sure to cut the meat off the bones after they’ve simmered and stir it into the finished dish. Greens: While collards are the traditional choice, this recipe also works with other varieties of greens. You can try kale, spinach, turnip greens, mustard greens or dandelion greens. You can even use a combination of different types of greens. Spicy: Try adding a pinch of red pepper flakes or a tablespoon of hot sauce to the greens.
Give these greens a try, it’s the best way to eat your veggies and enjoy them too!
Collard Greens Video
