Cheesy Brussels sprouts with balsamic, garlic, bacon, and pine nuts. If you think you don't love Brussels sprouts, this recipe will change your mind! You can prepare this dish in one pan in under 30 minutes! Serve with sumac chicken, smoked tri-tip, or crispy panko shrimp!
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Serve these delicious pan-roasted Brussels sprouts with your Thanksgiving meal, or any night of the week. And don't forget to drizzle them with lots of balsamic vinegar glaze!
Yesterday I baked ham for dinner. Normally I would serve it with mashed potatoes and honey mustard sauce. But since Scott decided to join me in eating low-carb, I needed to come up with another side dish.
Feeling a little creative, I decided to come up with a new recipe. I took out the Brussels sprouts from my fridge, fully knowing that Scott hated them.😉
In order to disguise them, I decided to include ingredients that I knew he couldn't resist: cheese and bacon! Scott not only loved this dish; he asked for a second helping!
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🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
- Brussels Sprouts: Choose fresh, blemish-free Brussels sprouts.
- Bacon: Bacon adds so much flavor and crunch.
- Cheese: I like Asiago cheese, but you can use your favorite cheese, including mozzarella cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, or parmesan cheese.
- Pinenuts: Pine nuts are expensive but add a wonderful flavor to this dish. You may leave them out if you wish.
- Butter: You may substitute olive oil.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves, never bottled!
- Balsamic Vinegar
*A full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
🧀 How To Make Cheesy Brussels Sprouts
Step 1: Slice Brussels sprouts in half and place in a medium-sized bowl. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and enough water to cover them completely.
Step 2: Soak them for 30 minutes. (Soaking the Brussels sprouts in salt first helps eliminate the bitter taste).
Step 3: Fry bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain on a paper-towel-lined plate. Leave one tablespoon of bacon grease from the pan.
Step 4: Fry the pine nuts in the bacon grease until slightly browned, then remove from the pan.
Step 5: Melt butter in the same pan. Drain and add the Brussels sprouts. Crumble bacon and add half to the pan along with the garlic, salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar. Stir to combine, then cook over medium heat for approximately five minutes or until fork-tender.
Step 6: Mix the remaining bacon with the pine nuts and shredded cheese. Mix into the Brussels sprouts just before serving. Finish off with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
Low Carb Cheesy Brussels Sprouts are the perfect side dish! They go perfectly with beef, for example, smoked brisket.
Don't have a smoker? No problem! You can serve Brussels sprouts with any of the following entrees: grilled jerk chicken and Instant Pot ham.
However, this dish is so filling and satisfying, you can actually have it as a meal instead of a side dish. Ok, maybe that's a slight exaggeration, or not?
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
Trimming Brussels sprouts couldn't be simpler! Start by slicing off the brown end of the stem. Next, remove any outer leaves that are discolored, brown, or unattractive. Boom, you're almost done!
If you're looking for crispy edges and caramelization, it's better to cook them in a cast iron skillet instead of boiling the Brussels sprouts. Boiling actually makes their flavor and scent less favorable.
If you would like to blanch Brussels sprouts before using them in a recipe, they can be blanched whole if they are small, or sliced in half if they are larger.
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- Be sure to wash, then trim the Brussels sprouts prior to cooking. To trim, slice the brownish end of the stalk off and remove any outer yellow leaves. Keep the Brussels sprouts whole, or slice them in half or quarters.
- Before cooking Brussels sprouts, soak in salted water for approximately 30 minutes to extract the bitter flavor.
- Brussels sprouts can be eaten raw and are fantastic when shaved into slaw or salads.
- To roast Brussels sprouts in the oven, set the oven temperature to 400 Degrees F. Drizzle the Brussels sprouts with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast on a baking sheet for 35 minutes.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
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Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Wash Brussels sprouts and remove the rough end of the stem.
- Slice Brussels sprouts in half and place in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and add enough water to cover them completely. Soak for 30 minutes.
- Fry bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain on paper towels. Drain all but 1½ teaspoons of bacon grease from the pan.
- Fry the pine nuts in the remaining 1½ teaspoons of bacon grease until slightly browned, then remove from the pan.
- Melt butter in the same pan. Drain and add the Brussels sprouts. Crumble half of the bacon and add half to the pan along with the garlic, salt, black pepper, and balsamic vinegar. Stir to combine, then cook over medium heat for approximately 5 minutes or until fork-tender.
- Stir the remaining bacon with the pine nuts and shredded cheese. Mix into the Brussels sprouts just before serving. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar glaze, if desired.
Nutrition
Notes
- Be sure to wash, then trim the Brussels sprouts prior to cooking. To trim, slice the brownish end of the stalk off and remove any outer yellow leaves. Keep the Brussels sprouts whole, or slice them in half or quarters.
- Before cooking Brussels sprouts, soak in salted water for approximately 30 minutes to extract the bitter flavor.
- Brussels sprouts can be eaten raw and are fantastic when shaved into slaw or salads.
- To roast Brussels sprouts in the oven, set the oven temperature to 400 Degrees F. Drizzle the Brussels sprouts with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast on a baking sheet for 35 minutes.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
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