I’m relatively new to the world of the B-sprouts. I’m sure my parents had me try them as a kid and I said, “YUCK!” and spit them back out. But as an adult? I just started to get on the Brussels train a few years back. I love how sweet, crunchy and caramelized the little leaves get when roasted in a scorching hot oven.
They are amazing roasted on their own with just a little bit of olive oil, salt and pepper, but sometimes, you want to up the ante just a little bit. WITH APPLES. AND BACON. Boom.
Because Brussels naturally get sweet when roasted, it works well to pair them with other sweet foods like apples and maple syrup. A little bit of salty bacon helps keep the flavor from tipping too far to the sugar-y side. I love this side dish because it works for fancy dinners like Thanksgiving, but it comes together in a flash and would be a great veggie side for any weeknight dinner, as well.
To prepare Brussels sprouts for cooking, I like to lop off the stem end of each sprout with a sharp knife and then halve them. By halving them, I find that the roasted yummy flavor gets in every little crevice of the sprout. It is worth the extra time it takes to slice and dice ’em. When looking for Brussels in the store, look for smallish, tightly packed sprouts. You’ll lose a few leaves when trimming, but ideally, the sprout should mostly stay together. For a full primer on how to perfectly roast Brussels sprouts, check out this post.
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