Posted on November 8, 2016 by Diana L.
Brussels sprouts: you either love ‘em or you hate ‘em. But if you’re sitting on the fence, this easy Brussels Sprouts Recipe with bacon will make you jump onto the love ‘em side. Promise. The little bits of bacon add so much yummy flavour. I used to only serve Brussels sprouts at special holiday dinners like Christmas dinner and Thanksgiving dinner. Now they’ve become part of our regular meal repertoire.
Brussels sprouts landed on our Thanksgiving dinner table many years ago after a trip to the local farmers market reintroduced me to these tasty mini cabbages. I was fascinated by their presentation. Did you know they grew on long stalks?? Honestly never gave it a second thought before but I bought one to decorate my table and another other to eat. My family had no idea Brussel sprouts grew that way either!
Photo courtesy of From Our Hideaway www.fromourhideaway.com
Everyone enjoyed the fresh from the farm Brussels sprouts and all I did was steam them. My brother reminded me that our grandmother used to make them all the time and that they were one of his favorites. As an adult, he admits he doesn’t usually take the time to make them for dinner. Now if I know my brother is coming for dinner, I include them in with my meal.
My grandmother came over from England when she was 8 years old. I could not image how that must have been to move so far away from your home at such a young age. My grandmother always made different foods and recipes that we normally didn’t eat at home. Her Brussels sprouts recipe was one such dish. Yorkshire pudding was another.
I could never figure out WHY it was called Yorkshire pudding when it was clearly miniature breads and there was no pudding involved. Try as hard as my dear mother tried, she just could never make Yorkshire pudding the way grandma did. That’s just what makes grandmother’s so special, is it not? Their special recipes that only they can make. My mother has her own food legacy she’s leaving a mark on the world with her recipe for sweet and sour meatballs and a delicious no bake cheesecake that will forever grace my table. Do you have a favourite recipe your grandmother use to make?
Fast forward a few years, I noticed many recipes on Pinterest that include bacon in their Brussels sprouts recipe. Most people pan fry the bacon then add the Brussels sprouts into the pan and cook them in the pan on the stop top. I personally like to roast the Brussels sprouts in the oven. I coat the Brussels sprouts with some the bacon drippings and stir in partially cooked bacon. Roast everything until the Brussels sprouts are soft and sweet and the bacon is crispy crunchy. The bacon gives a delicious flavour to the Brussels sprouts while they are cooking. YUM!
Aside from cleaning the Brussels sprouts, this delicious Thanksgiving side dish is an easy recipe that comes together very quickly. I toss everything together in a casserole pan, cover with foil and place it in the oven to roast.
Ingredients
- 5strips bacon, cut into small pieces (half a package)
- 2tablespoonsbacon grease
- 1poundBrussels sprouts, trimmed, cut in half
- 1medium onion, finely chopped
- ½teaspoonSalt
- ¼teaspoonpepper
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut the bacon into small bite-sized pieces and cook in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook until just crispy. The bacon will continue cooking in the oven.
Reserve 2 tablespoons of the grease from the bacon. Drain the remaining grease from the bacon pieces and allow to drain on a paper towel.
Combine the halved Brussels sprouts and finely chopped onion in an oven proof baking dish. Drizzle the bacon grease overtop and toss to evenly coat. Season with the salt and pepper. The amounts can be adjusted to your preference.
Sprinkle the cooked bacon over top of the Brussels sprouts and cover the dish with foil.
Roast the Brussels sprouts in your 400 F oven for about 40 minutes or until they are just tender. Cooking temperatures will vary depending on the size of your Brussels Sprouts. Start checking for doneness after 30 minutes.
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