If a dish of plain old Brussels sprouts has never tickled your taste buds, maybe it’s time to try something new!
By cooking the little veggies in a sweet and zesty sauce, then stirring them up with the salty flavor of bacon, you can turn a holiday vegetable dish into a real treat.
If you’re still on the fence about sprouts, maybe you need to just look at them a little differently. Back in 1963, an anonymous food writer’s description of American Brussels sprouts was syndicated to several newspapers across the country.
“The gourmet’s darling and the plain cook’s delight,” he or she wrote, “looking like a little green and golden rose, with its intricately-folded petals dappling from palest white-green to deepest glowing emerald-fire.”
Now couple that “green and golden rose” with smoky bacon, add a little scrumptious sauce, and — boom! — you’ll have something that would be more than welcome on your holiday dinner table.
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Maple-balsamic Brussels sprouts with bacon
Yield 8-10
Ingredients
- 4 pieces of thick bacon
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1-1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1-1/2 teaspoons pepper
- 2 pounds Brussels sprouts, cleaned, ends removed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F. degrees.
- Place parchment paper over a large baking sheet.
- Place the bacon strips in a single layer on the parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, vinegar, and maple syrup together.
- Lightly brush each of the pieces of bacon with the balsamic mixture.
- Pepper the bacon.
- Bake the bacon in the oven for 20 minutes, or until crispy.
- Once bacon is cooked, remove, and drain on paper towels blotting away excess oil.
- Crumble bacon and set aside.
- Place the Brussels sprouts in a large bowl, add remaining balsamic mixture and mix well.
- Place the Brussels sprouts on the baking sheet, returning the pan to the oven.
- Bake until done, about 20-30 minutes.
- Once cooked through, remove from oven.
- Place sprouts into a bowl, add crumbled bacon, toss well, and serve.
Courses Side dish
