We’ve loved eating brussel sprouts for a long time, and we wanted to elevate this tasty vegetable a bit. So we added chopped bacon for some savory texture and flavor. Where we differ from most brussel and bacon recipes is our special ingredient: brown sugar! The brown sugar enhances the sweet flavor of well-cooked brussel sprouts and pairs well with salty bacon.
Here’s what you’ll need
- Brussel sprouts
- Brown sugar
- Bacon
- Salt
- Pepper
- Sheet pan
- Saute pan
Time to make some brown sugar bacon brussel sprouts!
- Prepare and cook brown sugar bacon
First, you’ll preheat your oven to the temperature on the instructions on your package of bacon. My bacon called for 400°F. Then line the pan with aluminum foil and place the bacon strips side by side on the pan. You can fold the edges of the foil up to help contain the bacon grease. Now, sprinkle brown sugar on the bacon strips. Place the pan in the oven and bake according to package instructions.
- Prepare brussel sprouts and chop cooked bacon
While the bacon is cooking, cut the bottom ends off the brussel sprouts and peel off any wilted or discolored leaves. Now cut each brussel sprout in half lengthwise. When the bacon is done cooking, remove it from the oven and chop it into small pieces.
- Cook brussel sprouts
Now that the bacon is cooked, we’ll use the bacon grease to cook the brussel sprouts. Put a saute pan on medium heat, then add the bacon grease. If you don’t have enough grease, you can add olive oil. Add the brussel sprouts to the saute pan and cook them until they’re tender and browned. You can cover the pan with a lid for faster cooking. Add salt and pepper to taste as they’re cooking.
- Add brown sugar bacon to brussel sprouts
After the brussel sprouts are done cooking, add the chopped bacon to the hot saute pan and toss. Now all that’s left is to plate and serve. Enjoy!
Some things I learned
Totally go for it! I made 4 strips of bacon but ended up using only about 2 strips because we were eating a pretty meat heavy meal that day. This recipe equates to about 1.5 teaspoons of brown sugar per strip but feel free to adjust to your tastes.
The brussel sprouts will caramelize and look burnt but don’t worry, they’re delicious that way. Another thing I did to help them cook faster wihtout spending more time in the pan was put a lid on at low heat for a minute or two at the very beginning. This will help cook the brussel sprouts cook through quicker and not just on the outside.
We hope you enjoy this recipe and add it to your rotation of favorite side dishes! We think this would terrifically compliment our Orange Maple Glazed Salmon and Ritz Cracker Beef Corn Casserole. Check out our newest recipes here:
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Brown Sugar Bacon Brussel Sprouts
These delicious brown sugar bacon brussel sprouts are the perfect side for your meal. They're sweet and savory and simple to make.
Ingredients
- 4 strips of bacon
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 16 oz brussel sprouts
- pinch of salt
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven according to bacon package instructions. Line pan with aluminum foil, line up the bacon strips side by side, and fold up the edges of the foil to help contain the bacon grease.
- Sprinkle brown sugar on top of the bacon strips.
- Bake according to package instructions - about 12 minutes.
- While bacon is cooking, cut the ends off the brussel sprouts and peel off any wilted or discolored leaves. Cut each brussel sprout in half lengthwise.
- Once bacon is ready, chop into small pieces and set aside.
- Pour the bacon grease into a saute pan on medium heat. If not enough grease, supplement with olive oil. Add brussel sprouts to saute pan and cook until tender and browned, about 6-10 minutes. Cover with lid for a minute or two to help them cook faster. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
- Add chopped bacon to brussel sprouts and toss around in the hot pan before plating and serving.
Notes
Feel free to adjust the amount of bacon you use. Each slice of bacon gets about 1.5 teaspoons of brown sugar. If you prefer saltier or sweeter, you can also adjust the amount of brown sugar.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 264Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 539mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 11gSugar: 12gProtein: 16g
We try our best to provide an estimate of nutritional information but it may not always be accurate. We advise readers to calculate through their own methods for the most accurate representation.
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