Pan Seared Scallops with Bacon Cream Sauce

Name: Pan Seared Scallops with Bacon Cream Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 6 slices bacon, chopped; 1/2 Tbsp butter; 1 cup heavy cream; 1/2 cup Parmesan, freshly grated; 1/2 tsp olive oil; 6 large scallops; Salt & pepper; Chopped chives for garnish

POSTED BY Meghan Y. ON February 10, 2015 // 87 Comments

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Pan Seared Scallops with Bacon Cream Sauce are cooked perfectly, then served up on a bed of that dreamy bacon-packed sauce… If you are looking to impress anyone with your skills in the kitchen, this is the one dish that’ll steal their hearts every single time.

This is how you open a date-night dinner to remember.

For Valentine’s Day this year, I wanted to give you all a recipe that will is the perfect way to show someone serious love. Also show yourself how much you love YOU.

Because there’s no other way to say “I love you” than perfectly seared scallops nestled in bacon cream sauce.

I mean, seriously, is there anything that bacon cream sauce can’t make magical?

I think scallops terrify a lot of people because they can go from silky to rubber in about 10 seconds.

However, if you keep a close eye on them, even if you pull them a little early and let them rest, they come out perfect in just about 2 minutes or less.

Really the scallops are the easy part.

I can hear you rolling your eyes, but really, they are easy!

The difficult part is keeping yourself from sticking your face in this bacon cream sauce and inhaling it all.

The even more difficult part will be trying to find recipes for the subsequent courses that will live up to this opening dish.

Your date actually might still be licking the plate to get every little drop of this sauce before you take it away.

If you are making this for your Valentine’s Day date, I’m telling you know, you’ve got the night made; she/he will be swooning for you after the first bite.

This dish is honestly the one meal I will bust out when I am trying to impress.

Easy to make and gorgeous. It doesn’t get much better than that. Especially when you are trying to sweep someone off their feet with the meal of a lifetime.

BTW, you can totally turn this into a full meal alongside some couscous and asparagus! YUM.

This Recipe’s Must Haves

The one knife I rely on day in and day out in the kitchen is this stunning chef’s knife. Seriously, having a good quality knife is the best investment you can make for your skillet!

You will need a nonstick skillet and a saucepan because both are a must for this recipe, and so many others, of course!

Valentine’s Day gold, I’m just saying’…

The one thing I do have to say is that you HAVE to follow the instructions to the letter for cooking these pan seared scallops.

It’s such a solid technique so you honestly will not go wrong with it. Plus you’ll never believe just how simple it is to cook these!

All I can say is that Gordon Ramsey really knows what he is talking about.

No matter how many times I make these scallops, they always turn out perfectly cooked and golden. It’s a technique that is really hard to screw up, so cooks of any skill level can master it easily!

It’s such an incredible recipe, AND it just so happens to be keto-friendly! It wasn’t my initial intention with the recipe, but I found out after posting that it is a great go-to.

If you happen to have leftover bacon cream sauce, there are some awesome ways to use it up:

Mix it into your mashed potatoes or cauliflower puree.
Top your grilled steak or chicken with it.
Use it on top of roasted or steamed asparagus (a personal favorite of mine!)
Mix it into the filling for deviled eggs.

Need a stellar cocktail to pair with this dish? Try this Wild Berry Vesper!

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