Dennis Prescott

Brussels sprouts. Bacon. Parmesan cheese. Oh baby.

Brussels sprouts are one of those things that seem to really alienate people.

In the first corner. You folks love them, want them every time you sit down at your seasonal table, and seriously can’t get enough of those little bad boys. Roasted, raw, boiled. Whateve.

In the next corner, never… ever… again. You absolutely hate them, and when I say hate, I mean really… really… hate.

Obviously there’s something to be said for someone’s personal taste buds and there will always be things in the world that someone just legit doesn’t like (I once met a man who didn’t like cheese, crazy as that is. I mean…CHEESE!!). That said though, I do feel like a lot of our aversion to different kinds of food are born out of a place of trying the food when it wasn’t prepared in the best way possible (or a close representation). Doing the product/produce/dish justice. It it gives a really poor representation of what the dish/food/whatever could really be if not allowed to highlight the great things about it. When I was a guitar player and we went into the studio to make a new record, if I played a part really poorly, we wouldn’t scrap the song based on it. Sounds silly, maybe, but you get my point.

So to all the brussels sprouts fans in the house, this one’s for you. For the rest of you lot, give it a go. You may love em. And there may be a whole lot of delicious just waiting out there on the second round.

Grab some brussels sprouts, roast those bad boys, and enter a serious next level side dish that may stick with you for years to come.

Bacon Parmesan Brussels Sprouts

Serves 4 – 6, as a side

2 lb brussel sprouts

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons maple syrup

3 tablespoons olive oil

6 strips of bacon

1/3 cup parmesan cheese, shaved

How? 

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Give your brussels sprouts a good wash & dry well with paper towel. Slice the brussels sprouts in half (the small ones you can keep whole), and place them in a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pour over your olive oil and maple syrup, season with salt and pepper, and give the tray a shake to toss together. Roast for 25 – 30 minutes, turning halfway through, until tender.

While the brussels sprouts are doing their thing, heat a pan over medium. Fry 4 strips of bacon until nice and crispy (about 8 minutes). Crumble the bacon into small pieces and set aside.

When the brussels sprouts are cooked through and tender, take them out of the oven, transfer them to a bowl, and give them a toss with the bacon and parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.