I will never get tired of eating brussels sprouts on Thanksgiving. Or year round. It’s funny how just a few years ago people were still like ew wtf brussels sprouts WHAT and now they’re being served a million and one ways on both the home cook and restaurant scenes (and not just in hipster restaurants in Portland and Brooklyn, either). But these Maple Dijon Brussels Sprouts with Bacon? If you weren’t a brussels lover before, you’re sure to be one now.
This will be my fourth year in a row posting a fall/Thanksgiving-themed brussels sprouts recipe. You’ve got the all-time favorite, Maple Balsamic Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Pecans & Bacon (which I’ve served at four Thanksgivings and Christmases so far, because my family requests them all the time!), Brussels Sprouts with Toasted Pine Nuts & Pomegranate, and a Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Butternut Squash Salad with Maple-Peanut Dressing. And if you want to go totally out of the box for your Thanksgiving feast, Sweet & Sour Brussels Sprouts might strike your fancy.
All goes to say that the brussels obsession isn’t stopping any time soon. This is one of my favorite new recipes not only because it’s exploding with flavor, but because it’s an all-in-one, one-pan side dish. So you can easily throw everything together and pop it in the oven 25 minutes before you’re ready to serve your turkey dinner (and the turkey will be out and resting anyway!) Just throw the dressing together, toss those brussels in the delicious sauce, spread them on a pan, then lay the bacon on top like it’s about to take a delicious nap. Which it will be doing when it goes into your stomach, anyway…
- 1 lb brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
- 4 slices of bacon
- 2 Tbsp melted ghee or avocado oil
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice (½ lemon)
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
- Zest of ½ lemon
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine the oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, dijon, sea salt, pepper, and lemon zest in a small bowl and whisk the ingredients together.
- Put the brussels sprouts in a large bowl and toss them with the dressing, then spread them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Lay the bacon slices across the the brussels sprouts, pop the sheet in the oven, and bake for about 20-25 minutes, until the bacon is cooked through and the sprouts are crispy.
- Serve warm. You may want to chop the bacon up and toss it with the sprouts - but I wouldn’t blame you for sneaking a slice and eating it whole.
