Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Pecans

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with bacon, pecans, garlic and maple syrup make healthy finger licking side dish. On Thanksgiving or a busy weeknight, brussels sprouts come to the rescue as they are easy and quick to cook.

Need more ideas for your mini cabbages? Try raw brussels sprouts salad or roasted brussels sprouts.

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Brussels sprouts are not just pretty little green faces. They belong to cruciferous family like cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower. It means they are loaded with antioxidants, cancer fighting properties, fiber and vitamins.

And adding bacon to sauteed brussels sprouts gives me hope my children will change their minds.

If I were ever to eat bacon besides with eggs, it would be with brussels sprouts. These mini balls have large amount of tightly packed leaves, making them almost “dry”.

Adding a bit of bacon fat and crumbles combined with minced garlic and maple roasted pecans, makes my mouth water as I write. Do I have your attention yet? Let’s saute some brussels then.

How to Prepare Brussels Sprouts for Cooking

There is a myth or many recipes that call for thorough brussels sprouts trimming. That makes even a person like me, who loves to cook, not to ever wanna make brussels sprouts. I can’t imagine removing all outer leaves from 2 lbs of sprouts. 🙂

All you have to do is trim the end with a paring knife and remove any bruised, wilted or basically unappealing leaves. That’s it.

Slice then in half for this sauteed brussels sprouts recipe. Or in quarters if they are large.

How to Saute Brussels Sprouts

To saute brussels sprouts, I like to use heavy cast iron skillet. It retains the heat and really caramelizes the brussels sides.

• Make healthy candied pecans – Add pecans and rosemary do a hot skillet and cook until fragrant and roasted. Taste a few – you will just know. Then add maple syrup, saute just until caramelized and transfer to a bowl.
• Then saute 4-5 strips of bacon. If you can find organic – great! In Canada, it is not easy. So, I buy nitrite free bacon and enjoy in moderation. Remove bacon from the skillet and drain most of the fat in a bowl, leaving some for sauteing the veggies.

Tip: Let bacon grease solidify in a bowl and then discard in compost. Do not drain it down the sink as it may clog the pipes.

• Cook brussels sprouts – Add them to the skillet and cook for 7 minutes or so. I also like to add olive oil to cut back on using bacon fat. Do not stir too often as you want sides caramelized. Somewhere in the middle, sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Add garlic – When brussels are almost done – poke with a knife and if it almost goes through without resistance, add minced garlic. The keyword here is “almost”. Now cook cabbages with garlic for another minute or so.
• Stir everything together – Now all you have left to do is to add back pecans and diced bacon, stir and serve warm.

Tips for Busy Thanksgiving Day

I assume many of you will be preparing this recipe for a Thanksgiving feast. Here are a few time saving tips for you.

• You can clean and chop brussels for up to 3 days in advance.
• Refrigerate in a sealed bag, bowl or container to prevent from browning.
• Toast pecans for up to 7 days in advance. Store in a cool dry place.

And may I suggest other time saving dishes for the Holidays?

• Instant Pot mashed potatoes or baked potatoes free up the stove and oven.
• Make turkey gravy ahead even without drippings.
• Make and freeze cranberry sauce for up to weeks and months in advance.

More Healthy Sides You Will Love

• Roasted brussels sprouts
• Garlic green beans
• Parmesan zucchini sticks
• Roasted cauliflower
• Sauteed zucchini

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Pecans

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with bacon, pecans, garlic and maple syrup make healthy finger licking side dish. On Thanksgiving or a busy weeknight, brussels sprouts come to the rescue as they are easy and quick to cook.

• Author: Olena of ifoodreal.com
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 12 minutes
• Total Time: 22 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Stove
• Cuisine: North American

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 2 lbs brussels sprouts
• 1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 5 bacon slices
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. For each brussel sprout, trim the end with a paring knife and remove any bruised, wilted or basically unappealing leaves. Cut small and medium brussels sprouts in half and large ones in quarters.
2. Preheat medium-large cast iron skillet on medium heat and add pecans and rosemary. Stir often just until fragrant and toasted.
3. Add maple syrup and stir until well coated. Remove into a bowl and set aside.
4. Return skillet to medium heat and add bacon. Cook on both sides until desired doneness – soft or crispy. Transfer bacon onto a cutting board and drain almost all of the grease into a small bowl, reserving about 1 tbsp for sauteing.
5. Add olive oil and brussels sprouts. Cook for 7 minutes or so, stirring a few times but not too often letting veggies caramelize. Somewhere half way through sprinkle with salt and pepper.
6. While brussels are sauteing, chop bacon.
7. When brussels are almost done – poke with a knife and if it almost goes through without resistance, add garlic. The keyword here is “almost”. Now cook cabbages with garlic for another minute or so.
8. Turn off heat. Add caramelized pecans and diced bacon, stir and your mouth goes to heaven. Mine sure did!

Store: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Notes

Tips for Busy Thanksgiving Day

I assume many of you will be preparing this recipe for a Thanksgiving feast. Here are a few time saving tips for you.

• You can clean and chop brussels for up to 3 days in advance.
• Refrigerate in a sealed bag, bowl or container to prevent from browning.
• Toast pecans for up to 7 days in advance. Store in a cool dry place.

★ Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating in the comments.

1915.7 g392 mg11.8 g1.8 g0 g17.4 g6.6 g8.4 g7.5 mg

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