{ Kade in the Kitchen: Brown Sugar-Glazed Brussels Sprouts w/Bacon & Onion }

I don’t know why Brussels sprouts get such a bad rap. I mean, come on. They’re delicious! And, before you turn your nose up and say that they’re awful, disgusting little things that should be avoided at all cost, I say to you: bacon.

That’s right. Delicious, crispy, greasy bacon. Added right on in to the little Brussels sprouts that you’ll hardly even notice because you’re eating bacon. And, let’s face it: all is right in the world when there’s bacon within reach.

This recipe has it all—sweet, sour, and savory. And it couldn’t be easier to make!

First, I need to give credit to two bloggers who posted recipes from which my recipe ultimately derived. Each had elements that were great, but they weren’t quite what I had on-hand. Brussels sprouts are currently out of season, so the recipe with fresh ones didn’t quite work—but I did have a couple of bags of frozen ones on-hand. Plus, I have to avoid cooking with garlic during the week, as Doc will only eat garlicky foods after he sees his last patient on Saturday so that it’s out of his system by Monday when he has to again be right in front of someone’s face. It’s very considerate of him, but also annoying at times when it comes to making dishes that would be great with a little garlic enhancement. Alas, I digress.

Meanwhile, the recipe with frozen ones called for maple extract and shallots. I had neither. But, I do love me a good Vidalia onion. And that I also had.

I followed the basic instructions each had (both very similar), but came up with a time-saver solution that will produce more consistent results when it comes to the bacon itself. (And, again, it’s all about the bacon, right?)  I doubled these recipes to feed eight as a side dish, but even that wasn’t enough. They were gone before I knew it. There was one left in the bowl and I was going to eat it myself, but one of the dinner guests walked over and said he’d take care of it—and he didn’t want to waste time finding a fork, so he just grabbed it with his fingers. That’s how good this is. So, if you’re a Brussels sprouts-loving people in your household, plan accordingly & consider doubling this doubled version.

Ingredients:

8 slices of bacon, regular cut

2 Tbsp. salted butter

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 medium-large Vidalia onion, chopped thinly

2-12 oz. bags of frozen Brussels sprouts (still frozen—not thawed)

4-6 Tbsp. light brown sugar (4 Tbsp. is enough; 6 Tbsp. is glorious)

2-3 Tbsp. water (use less water if you use less brown sugar)

salt & pepper to taste (but honestly, I didn’t even bother with either)

Steps:

1) Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil (makes for easier clean-up). Place bacon strips flat onto the baking sheet, then put into an unheated oven. Turn oven on to 400 degrees. (Yes, you’re heating the oven after the food is already in it. Trust me on this.) After 17-20 minutes from the time you put the baking sheet in the oven, you should have perfectly crisped bacon. Keep an eye on it to not overcook it. Once cooked, drain bacon on paper towels, then break (or chop) it into small pieces.

2) While the bacon is baking, melt butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion. Cook the onion at least until it’s tender; longer if you want crispier onion. Once it’s to your liking, remove the onion from the skillet and put it in a bowl; cover the bowl to keep as much heat in as possible. (Be sure to leave as much oil/butter in the skillet as possible when removing the onion. If there’s hardly any left, melt 1 Tbsp. of butter in the skillet before moving on to the next step.)

3) To the same greased skillet, add the frozen Brussels sprouts. Cover with a lid and cook for about 10 minutes, or until desired tenderness has been achieved. You’ll want to stir them occasionally so they don’t burn. If your skillet is too large for a lid (like the cast iron skillet I used), or just doesn’t have a lid, use a baking sheet as the lid. It’s important to have that lid on in order to keep the moisture inside the pan so that the Brussels sprouts steam. If they start to get black or overcooked, turn down the heat. They will get slightly browned, but you don’t want burnt.

4) After the Brussels sprouts are cooked to your liking, sprinkle the brown sugar over the top of them and then sprinkle the water over that. It will start to sizzle and evaporate very quickly, so be sure to immediately stir the Brussels sprouts to get them coated. Once they’re coated and the water has evaporated, taste a sprout to see if it’s sweet enough for you. If not, repeat with a little more brown sugar and a little more water until the glaze is to your liking.

5) Once the Brussels sprouts are coated to perfection, add the bacon pieces and cooked onion to the skillet. Stir all of it together and let it cook for about a minute—long enough to make sure the onion and bacon gets warmed and also coated with the brown sugar deliciousness. Add salt and/or pepper, if so desired. Serve immediately.

You should end up with something like this:

You’re welcome.