Brussels sprouts with bacon will change the way you think about Brussels sprouts, the vegetable that everyone loves to hate!
What are your thoughts about Brussels sprouts? I know an awful lot of people who won’t touch them with a ten-foot pole. One guy I know says that his parents made him eat Brussels sprouts when he was a kid and he doesn’t care how they’re cooked, he is an adult and he is never eating Brussels sprouts again. People definitely have strong feelings about this much maligned vegetable.
Honestly, I never really had strong feelings about Brussels sprouts. I don’t remember my mom ever cooking them, but I do remember my grandmother making them a few times. It was a pretty rare occurrence so I don’t remember it very vividly, but I am fairly certain that they were (a) frozen; and (b) boiled and buttered. I seem to recall eating them with ketchup (???). I recall not hating them.
After we got married, Philip and I had a discussion about Brussels sprouts. He didn’t recall ever eating them. I was all, “Oh, they’re good! I’ll make them!” So what did I do?? I bought a bag of frozen Brussels sprouts, boiled (or maybe steamed?) them, and put butter on them. Ketchup optional (Philip is not a big ketchup fan). Um, no. I was not eating those. Suddenly, I hated Brussels sprouts.
The turning point for me came when I bought Tyler Florence’s cookbook Dinner at My Place(⬅️affiliate link). While the book had some great recipes, it overall did not really fit into my cooking style, so I traded it at McKay’s long ago…but one recipe stuck with me: bacon and Brussels sprouts hash. The recipe called for fresh Brussels sprouts, which honestly I didn’t realize that you could purchase at the grocery store prior to that, and fingerling potatoes, which are not exactly easy to come by around here, so I subbed in red potatoes instead. Soon, though, I realized that I did not need the potatoes. Brussels sprouts game.changed.
The texture of fresh Brussels sprouts is approximately 7,000,000,000 % better than the texture of frozen Brussels sprouts. And Brussels sprouts with bacon? Come on now. Roasting Brussels sprouts is in vogue right now, and sure…roasted Brussels sprouts are delicious (the leaves that fall off get crispy and are like little Brussels sprouts chips). Brussels sprouts with bacon are on another level, though. I’ve made believers out of a lot of skeptics and proclaimed Brussels sprouts haters. Give these a try!
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Yield: 4 servings
15 minPrep Time:
25 minCook Time:
Save Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 strips bacon, cut into lardons (matchsticks)
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 1 pound Brussels sprouts, woody stems cut off, any bruised leaves removed, and quartered
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook the bacon until beginning to crisp.
- Add the onions to the pan. Cook until they are soft and just beginning to brown on the edges.
- Add the Brussels sprouts and cook until they begin to brown. Add the chicken stock to the pan. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover.
- Cook the Brussels sprouts, covered, until mostly tender (10-15 minutes). If there is any liquid remaining in the pan, remove the lid and raise the heat to medium and cook until the liquid has evaporated. Salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.
Notes
This recipe is easily multiplied.
Click here to print the recipe for Brussels sprouts with bacon!
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