Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Brussels Sprouts - Photo by Taste As You Go
Brussels Sprouts

I admit it. I wasn't born a lover of Brussels sprouts. In fact, my family very rarely had them in the kitchen. My brother would toss some frozen sprouts in to cook with his Maruchan Ramen for a quick meal, but that particular combination never really appealed to anyone else.

It wasn't until last year that I really began to love that little vegetable, when I had the chance to try them on two occasions - at the Thanksgiving food and wine tasting at Bottlerocket Wine & Spirit and then while having dinner with friends after Christmas at Osteria in Philadelphia. Both times, the Brussels sprouts were roasted, and it seems that roasting is the key to making them so delicious.

Since my boyfriend had just given his parents a copy of Marc Vetri's latest cookbook, Il Viaggio di Vetri, he was going to check to see whether the recipe for their sprouts was included. (Vetri is one of the owners of Osteria.) But I couldn't wait that long. I didn't give Stephen much time to secure the recipe before I added Brussels sprouts to my latest grocery order and started thinking about how I wanted to prepare them once they arrived.

The following recipe is what resulted when I combined impatience with Brussels sprouts and bacon. (Who doesn't love bacon?) While my sprouts didn't crisp on the outside as much as the ones at Osteria did and they were as caramelized, they were absolutely fantastic! I can't wait to make them again!!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon - Photo by Taste As You Go
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon


Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Printable Recipe

INGREDIENTS
  • 1 pint Brussels sprouts
  • 5 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into pieces
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Wash and dry the Brussels sprouts. Trim off the ends of the sprouts, remove the outer leaves, and then cut them in half. Set aside.
  3. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and place the pieces on a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.
  4. Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil and butter to the pan. After the butter has melted, add the sprouts and cook for 3 minutes, just until the sprouts have started to brown. Add the bacon back to the pan and toss gently. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
  5. Spread the sprouts and bacon out onto a baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes, or until the sprouts are fork-tender. Remove from the oven and serve.

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Comments

Ya know, I never liked brussels sprouts (I had the typical "ewwwww!" response of an 8-year-old) until I had 'em in a similar kind of dish. Now I love them!

+Jessie
a.k.a. The Hungry Mouse
jessie - It always amazed me that my brother could eat those things boiled with Ramen noodles! And, I was like you, I hated eating them growing up. But, when prepared this way, eating them is like eating candy! :-)
Only recently did I discover that I liked brussels sprouts, and anything is good with bacon, so this looks good to me! - John
John - Cheers to recent brussels sprout discoveries! And, I agree, anything is good with bacon. :)
paoix said…
a little bit of bacon on anything can change anyone's mind (even the vegatarians?) haha
paoix - The idea of living without bacon is what's preventing me from ever becoming a vegetarian! :-)
I'm not also big fond of brussels sprouts but with bacon things change a lot :))
Gera - Ahh, the amazing power of bacon. :-)

Hope you give the sprouts another chance and that you try this recipe out!
Joie de vivre said…
I love brussel sprouts too, and you're right, bacon makes everything better.
Joie de vivre - What a world this would be without bacon!
pixen said…
yummmmm... one of my favourite! I can eat bunches of brussels sprouts! Not forgetting the Belgian Endives aka Chicon. I have no problems with such vegetables. Most Belgians would add sugar a bit here and there but I love the taste as it is. If I could eat bittergourd, brussels sprouts is like Kale to me (which is true as they're from the same family) :-P

I also like to cook it with Sambal Belacan :-D pssst I hope no Belgians read this LOL
pixen - When I had run out of the Brussels sprouts, I was really sad they were all gone and wished I had made more. Guess that says something!

Glad to hear there are so many other sprouts fans in the world!
averagebetty said…
YUM! These look like brussels sprouts I may actually LIKE!
Average Betty - When there's bacon involved, how can you go wrong? :)

Thanks for your comments!
J said…
I had something similar this week, my first time ever actually liking Brussels sprouts. These had apples mixed in as well, but otherwise looked the same. I've always hated them before, but boy, these were GOOD. Now I want to try your recipe. :)
Jules - Adding apples sounds like a delicious idea. Now I'm going to have to make these again with the new ingredient! Thanks for the suggestion and for your comments!