Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts....a kids worst nightmare, but a foodie's tiny morsel of deliciousness....when cooked right.  I grew up hating them, but it turns out that steaming them, cutting them open, and jamming a pat of butter between them like an ice cream sandwich is not the way to do sprouts. Now this isn't to say that I would have eaten then any other way as a child either, but I know I would not repeat that knowing how delicious they can be.

I have tried a couple of roasted and sauteed Brussels sprouts (yes it's capitalized because they're named after the city) and have been pleasantly surprised.  So when Mom and I were visiting my brother a couple of weekends ago in Wisconsin and he took us to brunch at a local joint called Houdini's and I spotted them on the menu I had to give them a try.

They were amazing! And because I can't just eat a good side dish and be done with it, I decided to recreate it.

*based on the Brussels sprouts appetizer from Houdini's Escape Gastropub

What You Need

6 slices thick cut bacon, crumbled

1lb Brussels Sprouts, quartered or halved

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup 100% pure maple syrup

1/2 cup Buffalo Sauce (I used Moore's)

2 Tbsp butter

1 tsp brown sugar

1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

How to Make It

1) Cook bacon in a skillet. I chopped my bacon into thirds and cooked it all at once, so they'd all fit in the skillet. When bacon is crispy, remove from pan, but leave the drippings.

2) Saute Brussels sprouts in bacon dripping over medium high heat, adding just a pinch of salt and pepper. When sprouts are tender and begin to char, they are ready. This takes 10-12 minutes.

3) While the bacon and sprouts are cooking, prepare the sauce: Combine maple syrup, buffalo sauce, butter, and brown sugar in a small saucepan, and heat to a boil, stirring frequently. Once the mixture begins to boil, turn the heat down to medium low and simmer 3-4 minutes. I let mine sit on the stove on very low heat until it was time to mix it all together.

4) Once your sauce, sprouts, and bacon are ready, you can assemble the dish. Place the Brussels sprouts in a serving dish. Pour sauce over the sprouts and mix until they're completely coated. Top with bacon and Gorgonzola cheese and serve immediately.

For anyone who is wary of the spiciness, it's not spicy at all.  The maple syrup and butter balance out what little heat the buffalo sauce provides and you're left with delicious and very complementary flavors!

I'd love to be able to say that I nailed this recipe on my first try but as you can see, that was not the case. I was not thinking about it when I was purchasing my ingredients, and bought a bottle of hot sauce, NOT buffalo sauce. As they tell you in elementary school, some things are alike, but they are most certainly the same. Buffalo sauce and hot sauce are prime examples.  Let's just say that my first attempt was way too spicy for Eric to even try.  Luckily I had the presence of mind to not pour it on the Brussels sprouts immediately, and thank goodness there is a Walmart 2 minutes from our house! It was $12 well spent to get some buffalo sauce and another bottle of maple syrup (because I used the entire 1st bottle trying to de-spicy the hot sauce concoction). Live and learn....

...and laugh at yourself on Snapchat!