Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Apples and Bacon
As we gear up for the largest meal most of us will sit down to this year, food blogs and magazines everywhere are overflowing with decadent Thanksgiving recipes while hosts and hostesses desperately attempt to plan their menus.
Although my husband and I will be spending the official holiday down in PA with my parents, I decided to cook a mini Thanksgiving dinner for just the two of us to share.
Roast chicken, mashed sweet potatoes, whole berry cranberry sauce, and – of course – these absolutely delicious Brussels sprouts graced our plates.
Despite the obstacle of cooking several dishes in our miniscule apartment kitchen, the meal went off without a hitch and ended up being a resounding success!
In all honesty, my two favorite dishes were the mashed roasted sweet potatoes and the Brussels sprouts. Crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, the sprouts are roasted alongside sweet apples and served topped with smoky bacon.
This dish works beautifully as part of a holiday meal, (simply increase ingredient amounts as needed), but can also be served for a casual weeknight dinner to share with another – very lucky – person!
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Apples and Bacon
yield: 2 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 slices thickly-cut applewood smoked bacon
- 1 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
- 1 large apple, peeled, cored, and chopped (I used Honeycrisp)
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Place bacon in a large non-stick oven-safe skillet set over medium-high heat. Cook until crisp, turning halfway through, about 5-6 minutes total. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, and crumble. Wipe out the skillet, reserving about 1 tsp bacon fat.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the halved Brussels sprouts, chopped apple, olive oil, maple syrup, and apple cider vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Add mixture to the skillet, making sure the halved Brussels sprouts are cut-side down.
- Roast until sprouts are browned and crisp and the apples are soft, about 20 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the oven, and top the Brussels sprouts and apples with the crumbled bacon.
