BACON BRUSSELS SPROUTS
Any time I go to a new restaurant and there are Brussels sprouts on the menu, I make sure to order them—they’re my favorite vegetable, and I really enjoy encountering new flavor combinations. One of the best I’ve ever had is the Red Hot Brussels Sprouts from Butcher and the Boar in Minneapolis (a very Paleo-friendly restaurant, if you’re ever in the area). The recipe below makes for a great “base Brussels sprout”; it will give you a crunchy and full-flavored Brussels sprout each and every time. SERVES 2
PREP TIME: 5 minutes
COOK TIME: 20 minutes
2 slices bacon
2 cups Brussels sprouts, halved
½ to 1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crispy, about 5 minutes. Transfer the cooked bacon from the skillet to a paper towel–lined plate to drain.
- Add the Brussels sprouts to the fat in the pan, and cook until golden-brown and crispy, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. While the Brussels sprouts cook, cut the bacon into bite-size pieces.
- Season the Brussels sprouts with salt and pepper, and serve them hot, topped with the chopped bacon.
VARIATION 1 ASIAN BRUSSELS SPROUTS: Skip the bacon and sauté the sprouts in a bit of sesame oil for an Asian flavor.
VARIATION 2 BREAKFAST BRUSSELS SPROUTS: Top with two fried eggs to create a delicious breakfast—drizzle some olive oil into a hot skillet, and crack the eggs gently into it. Cook on one side until the whites are no longer runny, and then carefully flip and cook for a minute or two on the other side, depending on how done you want the yolks.
PREP TIP: Brussels sprouts keep well in the fridge, so go ahead and slice them as soon as you get them home from the grocery store so they’re ready to go anytime.
