Ingredients

2 pounds mustard greens (about 2 bunches)
2 1/2 cups water, divided
4 ounces thickly sliced bacon (about 4 strips), diced
1 medium onion, chopped
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Optional: 1 teaspoon sugar
Optional: Dash of crushed red pepper flakes

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients.
Thoroughly wash the mustard greens in 2 to 3 changes of water, or until you can’t feel any grit in the bottom of the bowl. Trim off and discard the thick stems and coarsely chop the leaves.
Bring 1 cup of the water to boil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot. Add the washed greens in handfuls, waiting to add the next bunch until the leaves in the pot begin to wilt.
Once all of the greens are in the pot, cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the greens are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the greens in a colander, squeezing out any excess moisture, and set aside.
Wipe out the pot and add the bacon. Fry over medium heat until the bacon is crisp and the fat is rendered. With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
Add the chopped onion to the bacon drippings in the pot and sauté over medium heat until the onion is soft and lightly browned.
Return the bacon to the pot and stir to combine.
Add the cooked greens to the pot and stir in the remaining 1 1/2 cups of water.
Add salt and pepper to taste, along with the sugar and crushed red pepper flakes, if desired. Stir to combine.
Cover the pot and simmer the greens over low heat until tender, 30 to 40 minutes.

Tips

Mustard seeds come from mustard greens, but if you see seeds on the greens when shopping, don’t buy that bunch. The greens taste best without seeds.
You can use many cooking greens interchangeably in recipes like this one, but understanding their differences is helpful. Collards have long, flat leaves and a mild flavor. Kale’s varieties range from curly and green, to purply-red (redbor), to dark green and bumpy with smooth edges (lacinato, or Tuscan). Turnip greens can be substituted, too—they’re smaller, more tender, and a little sweeter than collards.

Candied Yam Cornbread

Use whatever recipe your family uses for buttermilk cornbread.. no sugar or very little.. add 3/4-1 cup mashed cooked PLAIN yams.. blend until well mixed.

I use salted butter for my fat in my bread as well as to grease the pan.

Candy yams as you normally would and let them cool slightly.. once your cornbread batter is in the pan use a large spoon and scoop your candied yams and any candied sauce in the middle.

Bake 400 until cooked in the center.

When it comes out pour 1/2 stick of warm melted salted butter mixed with 1 +/- tablespoon honey over the top.