Crumbled Bacon Asparagus

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Crumbled Bacon Asparagus is a delicious way to serve vegetables either for dinner or during a family and friends get-together! The flavor is a blend of earthy and umami undertones so that it is neither too reedy and bland nor too salty and overpowering! This asparagus recipe is easily served family-style, if you’d like! {Gluten-Free + Paleo-friendly}

You know a vegetable recipe is a good recipe when it’s mixed with bacon that is double-cooked before serving. And that’s exactly what happens in this Crumbled Bacon Asparagus side dish recipe. First we fry the bacon in a skillet and then we roast it atop asparagus stalks for about 10-12 minutes. The result? Absolute perfection. 

So, we’re technically eating our vegetables AND getting our fill of bacon. DOES IT GET ANY BETTER THAN THAT, SPIRITEDS? This ALL CAPS question sits on my mind. Side dish recipes have never been tastier or more exciting. 

If, like me, you grew up on canned asparagus and were forever ruined as a result, then you may be entitled to compensation. And by compensation, I mean this here recipe. I may still have to sound out asparagus to know how to spell it. But fresh asparagus that has never seen the inside of a can is actually incredibly tasty. It’s also, all things considered, not that expensive. So as side dishes go, it’s fairly accessible. Maybe just don’t add it to my spelling words for the week. Asparagus. A-S-P-A-R-A-G-U-S. Asparagus. Just got spellchecked on that last one. Dammit. 

I digress.

If you are in the market for a crowd-pleasing side dish that will have tastebuds running wild, then grab your largest baking sheet, some parchment paper, asparagus stalks, and BACON, and LET’S DO THIS!

Crumbled Bacon Asparagus is

• Gluten-Free and paleo-friendly (check packaging labels and ingredients for allergen and paleo-friendly info)
• Earthy, salty, and a little bit buttery
• The perfect side dish to share
• Easy to share family-style

Crumbled Bacon Asparagus ingredients

• Bacon. Gluten-free and about one pound in amount.
• Fresh asparagus. One pound if the stalks are large in diameter and closer to two pounds if the stalks are skinny.
• Coarse black pepper. To taste. 

How to make Crumbled Bacon Asparagus

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Trim the tough ends of the asparagus stalks and discard them. Place the asparagus on the parchment-lined baking sheet, sprinkle with coarse black pepper, and set aside.
3. To a skillet, add the bacon strips and fry until they reach a crispy consistency. When done, transfer the bacon to a plate and sandwich the strips between two paper towels or paper napkins. Crumble the bacon into small pieces and set aside. Next drizzle spoonfuls of bacon grease over the asparagus stalks followed by the crumbled bacon.
4. Roast for 10-12 minutes, rotating once halfway through the cook time. Serve immediately.

Side note: We like to serve this dish, especially if working with two pounds of skinnier asparagus stalks, family-style. Just leave everything on the large baking sheet and let everyone serve themselves. 

The secret to really good asparagus

The secret to really good fresh asparagus is to NOT OVERCOOK IT. Asparagus doesn’t need much time to go from tough and reedy to softly cooked with a hint of crunch. 

And to get the right flavor for this recipe, we are combining our Lemon Garlic Roasted Asparagus recipe with the BENSA Bacon Lovers Society’s Baked Asparagus with Bacon and Parmesan Cheese recipe. These recipes are a culinary match made in heaven.

Helpful recipe tips and tricks

• Trim the stalks before roasting just like the recipe says. But it’s also a good idea to check after roasting for any tough ends. No two stalks are exactly alike, and sometimes it’s hard to know just how much of each stalk needs to be trimmed.
• I don’t add a lot of sea salt (or any sea salt, for that matter) to this recipe. If I’m serving it to others, I’ll have sea salt on hand, in the event they’d like to salt their portion. But I find the salty bacon and grease do an excellent job of enhancing the flavor without my help.
• Try coarse black pepper first. Before I start salting my Crumbled Bacon Asparagus, I add pinches of coarse black pepper. Sometimes that’s all that’s needed to intensify the flavor.
• Asparagus is often packaged by weight rather than quantity of stalks. And the size of the stalks can vary widely. If the stalks are narrow, I’ll add closer to two pounds of asparagus to this recipe. And I worry less about overlapping them because they are so tiny to begin with. When I work with thicker stalks, I stick closer to one package or one pound of asparagus. And I DO strive to ensure the stalks don’t overlap. 

More side dish recipes!

If you are in the market for ridiculously good side dishes, then check out these tasty bites!

• Maple Bacon Sweet Potatoes
• Spicy Garlic-Roasted Broccoli
• Roasted Cauliflower Steaks

Spiriteds, stay well and stay while. Jump into the fun whenever you can, and always remember I’m glad you’re here. ❤️

Crumbled Bacon Asparagus

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Crumbled Bacon Asparagus is a delicious way to serve vegetables either for dinner or during a family and friends get-together! The flavor is a blend of earthy and umami undertones so that it is neither too reedy and bland nor too salty and overpowering! This asparagus recipe is easily served family-style, if you’d like! {Gluten-Free + Paleo-friendly}

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 12 minutes
• Total Time: 32 minutes
• Yield: Varies (but about 6 servings)
• Category: Side Dishes
• Method: Roasting
• Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 pound gluten-free and paleo-friendly bacon
• 1–2 pounds fresh asparagus
• Several tablespoons bacon grease
• Coarse ground black pepper

Helpful equipment:

• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Trim the tough ends of the asparagus stalks and discard them. Place the asparagus on the parchment-lined baking sheet, sprinkle with coarse black pepper, and set aside.
3. To a skillet, add the bacon strips and fry until they reach a crispy consistency. When done, transfer the bacon to a plate and sandwich the strips between two paper towels or paper napkins. Crumble the bacon into small pieces and set aside. Next drizzle spoonfuls of bacon grease over the asparagus stalks followed by the crumbled bacon.
4. Roast for 10-12 minutes, rotating once halfway through the cook time. Serve immediately.

Notes

• We like to serve this dish, especially if working with two pounds of skinnier asparagus stalks, family-style. Just leave everything on the large baking sheet and let everyone serve themselves. 
• Yields may vary, depending on the size of the asparagus stalks and how many are in a package or bunch.

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