Brussels Sprouts with Bacon – IMAGINE… THIS COMING HOLIDAY SEASON… making a stunning platter of crispy roasted brussels sprouts with sweet caramelized onions, apples, sprinkled with holiday favorites like candied pecans and cranberries… some salty goat cheese, and oh yes…
Bacon… Don’t forget the bacon!!
I could imagine that tastes out of this world… I decided why to wait until November when I can make it now… RIGHT NOW!!
Brussels Sprouts: The vegetable that is fiercely loved or hated. That’s the fate of this mini cabbage like goodie. This can divide a nation, a family, a dinner table at the holidays, debating whether brussels sprouts are tasty or a poor excuse for food.
Surprisingly it could be your genes that determine your feelings about these green beauties. Yeah, they are absolutely delicious little munchers for me. Lucky me!
But yes, there is a “Brussels Sprout Gene” in some people that makes this vegetable, along with some others in cabbage family, bitter to taste. Alas, they wouldn’t understand the mmm’s and aahs I do after every bite.
Well, I think we can’t do much if it’s in your genes to convert you to love this particular veggie. But if you’re on the border of love and hate, this is for you.
Just imagine adding those notes of sweetness that comes from caramelizing your onions and apples, add some dried cranberries… top it with the saltiness of goat cheese and of course bacon… everything tastes good with bacon right? Wait… did I add Pecans? Not just plain pecans, candied ones! BONUS POINTS! GOD I love pecans!
How to Make Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Just halve these midgets into two and spread them on a baking sheet along with big squares of onions and apple. Drizzle them and toss them nicely in olive oil, maple syrup, salt and pepper.
Arrange the Brussels a bit apart and face down so they can roast nicely. Add a few sprigs of thyme if you have any.
Roast them at 400 degrees for about 35-40 minutes. Give them a shake a few times after the first 20 minutes so they roast all around.
Keep an eye on them after the 30 minute mark so they don’t get burned. You want them a nice crispy brown with slight char marks, but not too burned.
Meanwhile, candy your pecans by mixing them with some butter and brown sugar. It only takes 4-5 minutes to caramelize the sugar. Plain pecans are so yummy on their own, and candies pecan… mmm… they are irresistible!! I bet you can’t help yourself and keep popping them in your mouth. Don’t be surprised if only a few remain for the Brussels!
Then go ahead and fry those bacon strips and crumble them, so they are ready to go over the platter when it comes out of the oven.
And that’s it… garnish your platter with crumbled bacon, candied pecans, goat cheese, dried cranberries, and a few more sprigs of fresh thyme… isn’t it looking pretty?
It tastes out of this world when that beautifully caramelized sweetness of veggies and pecans are complimented by the saltiness of bacon and goat cheese. Every bite is going to be a tad bit different depending on what’s on your fork! Divine!
Do a trial run on this roasted brussels sprouts with bacon recipe before the holiday season hits you. That way you have one side dish perfected by the time November is upon us.
Just imagine presenting this stunning platter along with the holiday usuals. Your friends are relatives are gonna be mighty impressed!
Next time you see those brussels sprouts, ADD THEM TO YOUR CART!!
Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, on my Gypsy Plate… Enjoy!
Looking for more side dishes?
Squash Casserole
Chili Maple Sweet Potatoes
Creamed Peas with Pearl Onions
Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes
Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Rainbow Pasta Salad
Succotash
Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
These roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon are a treat for all seasons, and will look especially impressive on your holiday spread. Get ready for many compliments from your friends and relatives!
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs Brussels sprouts, halved
- 1 onion, largly squared
- 1 apple, largly squared
- 3-4 bacon strips, fried and crumbled
- 2 Tbsp dried cranberries
- 2 Tbsp crumbled goat cheese
- ½ cup candied pecans, or plain if in a pinch
- 1.5 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- Sea salt to taste
- Roughly crushed pepper to taste
- 3-4 sprigs of thyme
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F
- Cut brussels in half, dice apples and onions into cubes. Spread all vegetables on greased, parchment paper lined, baking dish.
- Mix together olive oil, maple syrup, salt and pepper. Drizzle over vegetables, making sure they are nicely coated.
- Arrange the brussels sprouts onto the cut side down, so they roast nicely. Add a few fresh thyme sprigs.
- Bake 35-40 minutes, tossing occasionally after the first 20 minutes.
- After cooking, add crumbled bacon, goat cheese, dried cranberries, candies pecans and a few extra sprigs of thyme.
Notes
Great holiday dish!
Nutrition Information
Yield 6 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 207Total Fat 11gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 10mgSodium 296mgCarbohydrates 24gFiber 5gSugar 14gProtein 7g
Nutrition information calculated by Nutritionix.
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
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I just pinned this recipe, I can’t wait to try it.
Let me know how you like it!
We love Brussels sprouts anyway, but this recipe looks like a true winner.
Thanks Beth. We love our brussels too, especially roasted!
These sound amazing!
Thanks Jackie, enjoy!
Can’t wait to try
It’s great, let me know what you think!