Pearl Onions, Peas and Bacon

Pearl Onions, Peas and Bacon are combined in this simple and delicious side dish that is seasoned with smoked paprika and brown sugar.

Many of the dinners in our house consist of a protein, a veggie and a salad.  If we're out of fresh vegetables for a side dish, I'll turn to the freezer where I try to keep a couple of bags of frozen veggies to use in a pinch.

The night that I made this recipe was one of the nights that my back-up freezer vegetables came in handy.  I was out of fresh, so I listed off the frozen options that I had on hand to my husband to see what he preferred.  He wasn't feeling any of them. To be honest, I wasn't really feeling plain old peas either.   I also had some frozen pearl onions that I had no plans for.

I decided to combine the pearl onions and peas and then dress them up with some bacon.  The smoky paprika and the sweet brown sugar transformed the ordinary veggies into something special.  The whole family scarfed them down!

Pearl Onions, Peas and Bacon

   

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) bag frozen pearl onions
• 1 (9 ounce) package frozen peas
• 6 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tbsps butter
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a large pot of water, boil the pearl onions for 3 minutes.  Add the peas and boil for an additional 2 minutes.  Drain.
2. In a large frying pan, fry the bacon until crisp and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.  Pour off most of the bacon grease, leaving about 1 tbsp in the pan.
3. Add the butter to the bacon grease.  Add the onions and peas to the pan and sprinkle with the paprika and brown sugar.  Cook over medium high heat, stirring frequently for 4 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper, stir in the cooked bacon and serve. 

Notes

• Adapted from the Golden Onions recipe found on the back of the Birdseye pearl onions package.