Creamed Peas are a favorite side dish and these are the best of the best! We cook frozen peas in a savory Parmesan cream sauce with bacon and onions. These easy creamed peas are prepared all in one dish–no need to thaw or cook the peas ahead of time!
Love creamed side dishes? Us too! Be sure to try our Creamed Corn or these Creamed Potatoes.
If you’re looking for a milk-free recipe using frozen peas, try our favorite Frozen Peas Recipe!
Creamed Peas Recipe
During the holiday season, I’m all about indulgent-tasting and simple-to-make side dishes. These types of dishes are the perfect addition to any holiday table spread. Simple sides are also a great dish to bring when you’re asked to supply a dish for an event or party. And finally, simple sides are a great way to make a basic dinner seem fancy.
Whip up a delicious side dish to go with a protein and you’ve got a seemingly fancy dinner that didn’t take all that long to put together. Serve Creamed Peas on the side of a seared skillet steak, pan-seared salmon, or this super quick Blackened Chicken and you’ve got a fancy-looking, downright delicious dinner (with minimal effort expended).
But–be warned–this Creamed Peas recipe is good enough to overshadow even the most perfectly cooked steak ;).
Variations
How Do You Make Peas Taste Even Better?
Cook them in bacon, add butter, and a savory Parmesan cream sauce! Seriously, if you’re skeptical of frozen peas being delicious, you are going to be a convert after trying these Creamed Peas!
Here are some ideas to change up this recipe:
- Make Creamed Peas and carrots. Use 4 cups of a frozen peas & carrots blend instead of just using frozen peas.
- Replace the bacon with pancetta. Pancetta is cured and unsmoked while regular bacon is cured and smoked–both can be used interchangeably in this recipe–it all depends if you want a smoky flavor or not.
- Swap the yellow onion for shallots. The flavor is sweeter and more delicate with shallots.
- If you’re looking to really up your Creamed Peas game, try Parmigiano Reggiano–it’s incredible in this dish. (Use the leftovers in our favorite Fettuccine Alfredo!)
- Make Creamed Peas and potatoes. Boil diced potatoes in salted water and drain well. Mix through once the peas are cooked and double (or triple) the cream sauce.
- Add fresh herbs. A pinch of fresh herbs add vibrancy and life to this Creamed Peas recipe!
How To Make Creamed Peas
- Sauté bacon and onion. Dice the bacon and then sauté in olive oil with finely diced onions. The bacon will brown nicely while the onions caramelize a bit.
- Add in peas and season. Add frozen peas (straight from the freezer), butter, and seasoning to taste. Sauté until peas are warmed through and butter is melted. Mix in the flour next, which helps thicken the mixture.
- Add milk! Pour in the milk and sugar; simmer until nicely thickened. Remove from heat, stir through the cheese and serve while the peas are nice and hot.
Quick Tip
We make this Creamed Peas recipe with milk instead of heavy cream. We tested these peas with cream as well and couldn’t tell that much of a difference flavor-wise for the amount of fat that is saved from the swap! That said, this dish is best with whole milk and does suffer a loss of flavor and thickness with lower-fat milks. Avoid plant-based milks– they don’t work the same in this recipe.
Creamed Peas FAQs
Can I use canned peas instead of frozen in this recipe?
Canned peas will work fine here, but we definitely prefer the taste and texture of frozen peas best!
We’re partial to Birdseye® frozen peas (not sponsored), but any brand will work!
Do you put butter in Creamed Peas?
We add butter to this dish which begins the process of creating the roux. The butter plus flour is what ultimately thickens the cream sauce so it nicely coats the peas. (So, don’t leave out the butter here!)
Do you thaw frozen peas before cooking?
No! No need to thaw before adding–they’ll warm through in minutes.
Storage
To store leftover creamed peas and bacon, first let the dish cool completely to room temperature. Then, transfer the cooled dish to airtight containers and place them in the refrigerator. The leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
More Tasty Side Dishes:
- Sausage Stuffing Recipe with sage and apple
- Grapefruit Salad with an easy Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Funeral Potatoes with a crispy potato topping
- Orange Fluff Salad with mandarin oranges
- Life-changing no-knead Dinner Rolls
Creamed Peas
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 slices (~3 oz.) bacon, diced
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
- 20 oz. frozen peas (~4 cups) (We love Birds-Eyeยฎ)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Fine sea salt & pepper
- 2 tablespoons white all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk (Note 1)
- 1 tablespoon white sugar, optional (Note 2)
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping (Note 3)
Instructions
- PREP: Dice the bacon and onion before starting.
- BACON: Add olive oil to a large (10-12-inch) pan set to medium heat. Add in the bacon and onion. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally at first and more frequently at the end, until bacon is browned and onions are tender. (Bacon won't brown much more past this point, so fully brown here.)
- PEAS: Add in the frozen peas, 2 tbsp. butter, and seasoning to taste (I add 1-1/4 tsp salt & 1/4 tsp pepper--See Note 4). Reduce heat to medium low. Cook, stirring frequently, until peas are heated through and butter is melted, 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle in 2 tbsp flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
- FINISH: Reduce heat to low and add in milk and optional sugar. Stir gently until milk thickens. Remove from heat and sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top. Let melt then gently fold through. Taste for seasonings, adding more if needed. If desired, top individual servings with another sprinkle of finely grated Parmesan. Enjoy warm.
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.