Baked Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Brussels sprouts are delicious and healthy. They make a wonderful side dish, especially when baked. As with a lot of greens, they have a bad rap, so we’ll take these “little brains” as some call them, and bake them. Baked Brussels sprouts with bacon is surely the winning dish to get them to eat their greens.

The Brussels Sprout

Brussels Sprouts are a member of the cabbage, broccoli and collards family. They are highly nutritious, and one serving will give you your daily dose of both in vitamin C and vitamin K, . There are many ways to prepare them, however baking them keeps more of their nutrients. Steaming and microwave are acceptable too. Boiling is really the last way you want to cook any leafy green vegetable. Most of the goodness ends up in the water and gets tossed. The exception is starchy vegetables like potatoes, that need the boiling process to be made more palatable.

The forerunner to Brussels sprouts were cultivated in Ancient Rome and the Brussels as we know it has been around since the 13th century. They’re called Brussels because of their popularity in Brussels, Belgium. The “Low Countries” (Holland, Netherlands and Belgium) are some of the largest producers. Their harvest season is September to March (winter crop). Here in the America, California, is the largest producing state. The harvest is from June to January, so they’re pretty much available all year.

Brussels are available in a few different ways. Fresh or frozen, loose or on the stalk. I prefer fresh, but it’s always good to have frozen greens in the freezer for when you need them. I buy mine loose, some stores sell them on the stalk, but I’ve found the flavor is no different. To be honest, I think it’s a little gimmicky.

The cooking process

When I make this recipe, I do it in the skillet. Check this post on cast iron. I render down the bacon and toss the Brussels and garlic in the bacon fat. However, if you don’t have a cast iron skillet, a regular frying pan will work, just don’t let them stick. To prepare the Brussels is easy. Peel off a couple of the outer leaves, cut them in two, and that’s it. Rinse under running water. It’s always important to clean anything before cooking. Please read my post on safe food prep

Preheat your medium skillet over a medium heat, add the bacon. Only a few rashers is enough. Some stores sell individual rashers, so you don’t have to buy a complete package. Cut each rasher into about 1” lengths. Throw them in the skillet and allow them to cook a bit, just till some of the fat renders down. Add the garlic and Brussels. Mix everything well to coat. Put in a 350 degree preheated oven for about 20-25 mins, or till cooked, and that’s it. You have baked Brussels sprouts with bacon and garlic. Trust me it’ll be a big hit. So, enjoy and thank you