Can I make a confession? I never tried Brussel Sprouts until I was about 35 years old. I guess I always heard them mentioned with a negative connotation and never wanted to try them. However, it turns out I was wrong. I’ve drizzled them with oil and roasted them with garlic and salt and pepper. I’ve shredded them and sauteed them in bacon drippings. Both of those methods are pretty amazing, but I think I’ve found my favorite method. One of our favorite local restaurants, Flipside Cafe, has the most amazing Brussel Sprouts. I can’t go there and not order them. They’re all crispy and salty and they have this amazing balsamic glaze. Ryan and I went to eat there a few weeks ago and I mentioned them to him. He gave me a look like, “Seriously?” when I mentioned I wanted to get them as an appetizer. But once he tried them, he was converted.
Since we can’t very well eat at Flipside every single night (although I would be okay with that)… I decided to try and recreate them the best I could. I used bagged bacon bits and a pre-made balsamic glaze to make this super simple. You could certainly make your own bacon bits and your own balsamic glaze by simmering/reducing balsamic vinegar, but this is a good shortcut.
Yield: 2 large servings
Bacon and Balsamic Brussel Sprouts
prep time: 10 MINScook time: 20 MINStotal time: 30 mins
This Brussel Sprout recipe is anything but boring!
ingredients:
- 1 TBSP Olive Oil
- 2 Tbsp. Balsamic Glaze-- homemade by reducing balsamic vinegar or storebought such as Giusto (found near the vinegars)
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Garlic Powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 Tbsp. bacon pieces/bits (You can cook your own and crumble them, but I use the bagged pieces to save time.)
- 1 lb. Brussel Sprouts (about 20 heads)
instructions:
- Rinse Brussel Sprouts with water and pat dry with paper towel. Trip the ends of the stems and remove any wilted or spotted leaves. Cut the heads into halves or quarters.
- Drizzle with olive oil and toss. (Don't worry if leaves loosen. Some of them will fall apart a little. Thats ok.)
- Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder. I added about 1/4 tsp Garlic powder, about 1/4 tsp. salt, and just added some freshly ground pepper.
- Spread sprouts out on a baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees until crispy. (I baked about 15 minutes, gave them a toss, and then popped them back in for 5-10 more minutes.) I like them extra crispy, so you decide how brown you want them.
- Remove the sprouts and mix in the bacon pieces white the sprouts are still hot.
- Add glaze and mix. I use about 2 Tbsp. of glaze and mix well. If you would like more, go for it!
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