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Brussels sprouts were not part of my world maybe ten years ago. I had heard of them, but only as one of “those” foods nobody eats. Why did that happen? One possibility is that people boiled them until they were soft; nobody enjoys a mushy Brussels sprout. Boiling sounds like a fairly awful way to prepare them. Easy and Festive Roasted Brussels sprouts are not awful, nor do they take long to prepare!
Curiously, Brussels sprouts apparently didn’t get started in Brussels, or even in Belgium. Rather, they originated around the Mediterranean. Making their way north and becoming popular around Brussels, farmers there may have taken to cultivating them due to their compact growth habits. They could grow in smaller spaces, and also tolerate cooler northern European temperatures. The Brussels sprout later made its way to the New World. With maple and cranberry, this is a decidedly New World take.
Brussels sprouts are rather high on the Cuteness Scale of Vegetables. Those baby corns are arguably cuter, but Brussels sprouts look just like miniature cabbages. Indeed, being cruciferous vegetables, they are cousins to cabbages. With anti-inflammatory and detoxifying benefits along with a full load of vitamins, anti-oxidants, and more, Brussels sprouts benefit us in many ways.
The one thing they need, beyond some sort of cooking, is appealing flavor. While roasting preserves a pleasing texture (no boiling!), you add flavor with cranberries, bacon, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, and garlic. No time to get bored! It doesn’t take long to pull those flavors together, either. You could leave out the bacon if needed, and it will still be good, but the bacon makes it better.
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What to Do
Fry about 3 strips of bacon, reserving the grease. Preheat the oven to 425 F.
While the bacon is on the stove, wash your Brussels sprouts, cut off the stubby ends, and slice in half. This step accounts for most of the work!
Toss the sprouts with the bacon grease (or a tablespoon or so of oil), sprinkle with salt and pepper, add the cranberries if you are using fresh, and roast for 10-15 minutes at 425 F.
While you wait, whisk together balsamic vinegar and maple syrup with crushed garlic. Also crumble or chop the bacon.
Remove the pan from the oven and drizzle the balsamic mixture over the sprouts, tossing gently. Sprinkle the bacon over the top, along with the cranberries if you are using dried. Return to the oven for a few more minutes, being watchful that the sugars don’t burn. Remove to serve.
Easy and Festive Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients
- 3 strips bacon
- 1 pound Brussels sprouts
- 1/2 C fresh or 1/4 C dried cranberries
- salt and pepper
- 2 T balsamic vinegar
- 2 T maple syrup
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 F. Fry the bacon. Set aside and reserve the grease.
- Wash the Brussels sprouts. Slice off the stem end; slice each in half.
- Toss Brussels sprouts and cranberries (if using fresh) with the bacon grease. (If you are leaving the bacon out or don't have any bacon grease, use a tablespoon or two of olive oil or whatever you have.) Spread on a sheet pan lined with parchment and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Mix together the balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, and garlic.
- After 10-15 minutes, when the Brussels sprouts look about done and the cranberries have popped, remove the pan. Drizzle the balsamic mixture over everything and mix in. (Add dried cranberries now if you are using them rather than fresh.
- Return to the oven for a few more minutes. Remove and serve.
Make it Your Way!
- Substitute dried cherries for the cranberries.
- Omit the cranberries altogether. The result will not be as pretty, but it will still taste good.
- Slice half a red onion and add it with the Brussels sprouts at the beginning.
- Another vinegar can be substituted for balsamic, but it will taste quite different.
- For GAPS, use honey rather than maple syrup, apple cider vinegar in place of balsamic, carefully sourced bacon, and fresh, not dried, cranberries unless you can find GAPS compliant dried ones. The result will taste very different! This would be full GAPS only.
- This recipe pairs well with oven roasted chicken. They require the same oven temperature, and the Brussels sprouts roast in the same amount of time the chicken needs to rest after it is done. Roast the chicken, take it out and slide the Brussels sprouts in. They will be ready to eat at the same time. https://happyrecipebox.com/simple-oven-roasted-chicken/
Have you ever eaten Brussels sprouts in Brussels? How were they prepared?