Peas with bacon, shallots and Parmesan cheese is a quick and easy side dish and a super flavorful way to dress up a bag of frozen peas!

This post first appeared over at Real Housemoms, where I’m a contributor.

Oh hello, and happy Thursday!

I've been a bit under the weather this week -- nothing like a cold in the spring to kill all the joy out of the beautiful, suddenly warm days -- but am feeling better already now that it's Thursday I can almost hear Friday knocking on my door...

And I'll be knocking off a bit early tomorrow to go for a late afternoon/early evening/happy hour date with my husband and a crowd of strangers.

Wait, what?

No need to worry, we're just doing a little foodie/cocktail tour here in Charlotte and I'm super excited for all the eats and drinks!

But first, let me tell you about one of my FAVE side dishes (that we're having again with dinner tonight)!

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I plan out what the main part of our meal is going to be — chicken, fish, pork, etc. — and I kinda forget about the sides. Especially the veggie side.

Me. Who loves ALL the veggies ALL the time.

So at the last minute, I’m looking around to see what veggies I can scrounge up and try to think of something to do with them.

If I’ve got some fresh green beans, I usually turn to my green beans with mustard butter sauce. Or if I have broccoli, I’ll just give it a simple steam.

For spinach, I’ll sauté it or make my super simple spinach salad with a ridiculously easy balsamic vinaigrette.

But one thing I’ve always got on hand is a bag of frozen peas. Always, always.

(You can check out my favorite ways to use frozen peas for lots more ideas and recipes.)

And if I’ve got bacon (usually a yes) and some shallots (more often than not), I can whip together this peas with bacon, shallots and Parmesan side dish that makes me feel a bit fancy but is really very simple.

The bright fresh peas and mixed with the lightly sautéed shallots and have a really deep, smoky flavor from cooking in the bacon grease and being topped with crumbled bits of bacon as well. And the Parmesan cheese adds another layer of richness to finish this off.

So. Much. Deliciousness.

Notes on peas with bacon, shallots and Parmesan:

• I use thick-cut bacon, but any kind will do.
• To quickly thaw my frozen peas, I put them in a colander and run them under cold water for about a minute. Then they’re ready to add right in.
• I adore shallots — and all onions really — but if you’re not as big of a fan, you could use just 1 shallot in the recipe below.
• If you are more partial to canned peas, you can substitute those. Or use fresh if you have some. You need about 2 ½ cups total.

I hope you give this easy weeknight side dish a try ‘cause everyone’s gonna wanna eat their peas now!

Enjoy!

XO,

Kathryn

P.S. Be sure to watch my VIDEO for this recipe!

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Yield: 4 servings

Peas with bacon, shallots and Parmesan

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Peas with bacon, shallots and Parmesan cheese is a quick and easy side dish and super flavorful way to dress up a bag of frozen peas!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 slices bacon (see notes)
• 2 large shallots, finely diced (about ½ cup)
• 1 (12 oz.) bag frozen peas, thawed (about 2 ½ cups)
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add bacon slices. Cook until the bacon is cooked through and crisped on both sides, turning occasionally, about 8-10 minutes.
2. Remove bacon to a paper towel, leaving the bacon grease in the pan. Crumble the bacon and set aside.
3. Add chopped shallots and sauté in the bacon grease until tender, 1-2 minutes.
4. Add peas and stir until warmed through, 1-2 minutes.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Serve peas with reserved crumbled bacon and grated Parmesan cheese.

Notes

I use thick-cut bacon, but any kind will do.

To quickly thaw my frozen peas, I put them in a colander and run them under cold water for about a minute. Then they’re ready to add right in.

I adore shallots, but if you’re not a big fan, you could use just 1 shallot in the recipe.

If you prefer canned peas, you can substitute those. Or use fresh if you have some. You need about 2 ½ cups of peas total.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 99Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 420mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 6g