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You are here: Home / Sides / Creamed Kale with Hazelnut Bacon Crunch

Creamed Kale with Hazelnut Bacon Crunch

November 16, 2018 By Spices in My DNA 3 Comments

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This Creamed Kale with Hazelnut Bacon Crunch is unbelievably delicious and addicting, and it’s the perfect Thanksgiving or easy holiday side dish! It’s filled with lots of texture from the chopped hazelnuts and crumbled bacon, and it’s creaminess comes from heavy cream and a touch of cream cheese for a little extra something!

Overhead shot of a cast iron skillet filled with creamed kale and hazelnut bacon crunch with a plate of bacon in the upper left

Don’t let the looks of this creamed kale make you want to run away. It’s not the easiest thing to make look pretty! But I promise it’s SO insanely good. As in, so addicting I want to eat the entire pan with a spoon. And it’s super easy to make!

Overhead shot of a cast iron skillet filled with creamed kale and a hand sprinkling hazelnut bacon crunch on top

My favorite part is the hazelnut bacon crunch, without question. There’s something about the hazelnut and bacon combo that’s just hard to beat. I’ve always loved anything with hazelnuts (I’m looking at you, Ferrero Rocher – how good are those?!?!), and I’d have to say that hazelnuts are a close second to my favorite nut, pistachios.

I recently made this kale salad with bacon and hazelnuts, and I knew I had to re-create a Thanksgiving side with that flavor profile. I could.not.get.enough.

And here we are!

Overhead shot of a bowl of shredded kale, a bowl of chopped hazelnuts, a plate of bacon, a ramekin of garlic, and a ramekin of cream cheese on a dark blue background

The entire dish comes together in just minutes. It’s SO easy. And it’s made completely on the stovetop, which frees up the oven for other sides and for turkey!

Overhead shot of a cast iron skillet filled with creamed kale and hazelnut bacon crunch and a spoon stirring it

Instead of using all heavy cream, I also added a tiny bit of cream cheese for a little extra richness. It’s such a game changer in this recipe!

I also like to stir half of the bacon hazelnut crunch into the creamed kale, and sprinkle the rest on top.

My mouth is literally watering just thinking about how good it is. Omg.

Overhead shot of a cast iron skillet filled with creamed kale and hazelnut bacon crunch and a spoon stirring it

Basically, you need this on your Thanksgiving table!

Overhead shot of a cast iron skillet filled with creamed kale and hazelnut bacon crunch with a plate of bacon in the upper left

Overhead shot of a cast iron skillet filled with creamed kale and hazelnut bacon crunch with a plate of bacon in the upper left
Print

Creamed Kale with Hazelnut Bacon Crunch

This Creamed Kale with Hazelnut Bacon Crunch is unbelievably delicious and addicting, and it's the perfect Thanksgiving or easy holiday side dish! It's filled with lots of texture from the chopped hazelnuts and crumbled bacon, and it's creaminess comes from heavy cream and a touch of cream cheese for a little extra something!

Course Side, Side Dish
Cuisine Thanksgiving
Keyword creamed kale with bacon
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 3 -4
Author Molly | Spices in My DNA

Ingredients

  • 5 slices bacon
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 bunches lacinato/Tuscan kale, de-stemmed and shredded
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 2 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/3 cup dry roasted or toasted hazelnuts, chopped*

Instructions

  1. Heat a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat and cook the bacon until crispy. Set aside to drain on paper towels. Reduce heat slightly, and discard all but one tablespoon of bacon fat from the pan.

  2.  Add the butter. Once melted, add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the kale, salt, and pepper, and sauté for 1-2 minutes or until slightly wilted. Add the heavy cream, cream cheese, and nutmeg, and simmer for 2-3 minutes or until creamy and cream cheese has melted.

  3. Finely chop the bacon and combine it with the hazelnuts. Add half of the bacon hazelnut mixture to the kale and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the remaining hazelnut bacon crunch over the creamed kale. Serve immediately!

Recipe Notes

*I buy dry-roasted, unsalted hazelnuts from Trader Joe's, but if you can't find them, just toast raw hazelnuts in a dry skillet for several minutes until they're toasted and fragrant!

Overhead shot of a cast iron skillet filled with creamed kale and a hand sprinkling hazelnut bacon crunch on top

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Filed Under: Sides Tagged With: 20 minute, bacon, creamed kale, easy, entertaining, hazelnuts, holiday recipe, kale, side dish, thanksgiving, thanksgiving side

Previous Post: « Apple Cider Rosemary Turkey
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. mindy

    November 18, 2018 at 8:11 pm

    when do you add the garlic?

    Reply
    • Spices in My DNA

      November 18, 2018 at 8:50 pm

      Oops – just updated the recipe! Sorry about that!

      Reply

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Welcome! I'm so happy you're here. This is the space where I share healthy recipes with a sprinkle of indulgence mixed in! I’m wildly passionate about food, and I grew up in a family of foodies. I was surrounded by it from an early age and immediately fell in love. I love to share super flavorful, unique, and healthy recipes, as well as indulgent, comforting meals we all need from time to time!

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