By Melissa Phy / For the Love of Food

‘Tis the season for pomegranates! I used them in a salad a couple weeks ago and was trying to find a way to use up the other pomegranate I had in an equally delicious, but more creative, way.

My good friend (we’ll call him D) told me he made spinach with pomegranate seeds in it, and I deemed him the genius of our time. It adds a nice crunch and sweetness to an otherwise soft and bitter green. And, as we all know, bacon makes everything delicious.

You could try this dish out with mustard greens or kale and pair it with roast chicken. Or use it as a side dish at the Thanksgiving table at the end of the month and breath a sigh of relief that those creamy green beans finally have a replacement. (No one actually likes that green bean casserole, right? Don’t answer this if you lived through the 70s…)

Happy side-dishing! (Hint: Here is my tutorial on how to extract pom seeds)

Sautéed Spinach with Bacon and Pomegranate Seeds

Serves 4 side dish portions

What You Need

• 4 slices of bacon
• 12 oz. fresh spinach
• 1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• Dash or two of cayenne

Saute It

1. In a large pan, cook the four slices of bacon until crisp over medium heat. Remove from pan once cooked and let drain on a paper-towel covered plate. Crumble once slightly cooled.
2. Leave the bacon grease in the pan and turn the heat to medium-low and add the spinach, tossing to fully coat in the grease.
3. Add salt, pepper and cayenne and toss again. Cook until spinach is just wilted, about two minutes.
4. Plate the spinach and add the crumbled bacon and pomegranate seeds on top, tossing to evenly distribute.
5. Serve and be amazed at how delicious poms are in spinach.

Tips and Variations

• Cut the bacon into one-inch pieces prior to cooking to avoid crumbling afterward.
• Use mustard greens or kale
• Not a bacon fan or going meatless? Add smoked paprika to the spinach and sauté in olive oil instead.
• If you want some more sweetness, add a drizzle of balsamic vinegar at the end.