Description
A savory and crispy side dish combining roasted Brussels sprouts with flavorful bacon and garlic. This recipe involves pan-cooking the bacon and sautéing the sprouts before finishing them off in the oven for a perfect balance of tenderness and crisp edges, enhanced with optional balsamic vinegar for a tangy touch.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables
- 1 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Meat
- 4 slices bacon, diced
Other Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (optional, for added flavor)
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) to prepare for roasting the Brussels sprouts.
- Cook bacon: In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the diced bacon until crispy, about 5-7 minutes.
- Drain bacon: Remove the crispy bacon from the skillet and place it on a paper towel to drain the excess fat.
- Reserve bacon fat: Keep 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat in the skillet and discard or save the remainder for another use.
- Sauté Brussels sprouts: Add the halved Brussels sprouts to the skillet with the reserved bacon fat and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes until they begin to brown.
- Add garlic: Stir in the minced garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Transfer to baking sheet: Move the Brussels sprouts and garlic mixture onto a baking sheet in a single layer.
- Roast in oven: Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and roast for 15-20 minutes until the sprouts are tender and have crispy edges.
- Add balsamic vinegar: Remove the sprouts from the oven and drizzle with balsamic vinegar if desired, tossing gently to coat.
- Combine bacon and serve: Mix the cooked bacon back into the roasted Brussels sprouts and serve immediately as a savory side dish.
Notes
- For extra crispiness, spread the Brussels sprouts evenly on the baking sheet without overcrowding.
- Balsamic vinegar is optional but adds a lovely tangy contrast to the rich bacon flavor.
- Use thick-cut bacon for more texture and deeper flavor.
- Leftover bacon fat can be saved and used for cooking other dishes to impart smoky flavor.
- Adjust salt depending on the saltiness of the bacon used.
