Food Focus: Brussels Sprouts (with Bacon!)

Brussels sprouts are the quintessential “gross vegetable”, admonished by children across the country and prompting most to say “Ewwww!” at the mere mention of their name. However, most grown ups who’ve mercifully given the tiny cabbage a second chance are surprised at just how delicious they really are. We at Hamilton Beach believe the secret to good Brussels sprouts is a good roasting or pan frying (not boiling), so we’ve included a recipe below to get you started. When creating your own Brussels sprout recipes, remember they pair beautifully with bacon, parmesan and other savory and salty accompaniments. Following these basic guidelines, you’re sure to have an entire family of Brussels sprouts converts.

Brussels sprouts were popular in the Belgian city for which they are named as far back as the 1500s. They grow along the sides of long stalks, a funny sight if you’ve never seen them sold this way at the grocery store! The stalks can grow up to four feet high and produce up to three pounds of sprouts each. The sprouts are part of the same family as cabbage, kale, broccoli and kohlrabi, and they contain vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid and dietary fiber.

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To prepare Brussels sprouts, trim the ends off the buds and remove any loose outer leaves and any yellowing or spotted leaves. Rinse and dry the sprouts. At this point, the sprouts can be cooked whole, or they can be cut in half or quarters. We cut the sprouts in half for this recipe because it allows for more surface area to crisp up during the roasting process, and we think the crispness of the sprouts is delicious.