I’ve had a long, complicated relationship with Brussels sprouts. I don’t really love them and refused to eat them for most of my grade school years. These days I eat them willingly only when they’ve been mixed with other flavors and gussied up a bit so they hardly even resemble sprouts. I know it sounds a little wimpy, but that is how it goes when it comes to eating vegetables I don’t necessarily love.
Over the years I’ve come to enjoy this salad because the strong flavors of bacon and cranberries play well with the sprouts. It is like all salty, sweet, and tart all meet in one happy bowl and each bite is unique. It doesn’t hide the sprout flavor completely, but it compliments it really well. This is not a salad of sprouts with a few additions, each ingredients has a staring roll.
Give this new spin on a classic Thanksgiving vegetable a try on your table this year. You’ll love easy with which it comes together and the whole family will appreciate the new classic on their table.
RECIPE: Sprouts Salad
Ingredients
- 4 ounces bacon, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 30 ounces fresh Brussels sprouts, or three (10-ounce) packages frozen (thawed), trimmed and coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 cup dried cranberries
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Place the bacon to a large, ovenproof skillet and cook over medium heat until it is just beginning to crisp around the edges. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate, leaving the grease in the pan.
- Add the shredded sprouts to the pan and toss to coat with the salt and pepper. Then place the pan in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, turning the sprouts once or twice with a spoon. Add the bacon bits to the skillet and cook for 10 more minutes.
- Remove from the oven and transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Toss in the dried cranberries and serve!
Recipe via The Naptime Chef
