Roasted Brussels Sprouts with bacon and hazelnuts
Brussels Sprouts…. I used to really hate them when I was a kid. I didn’t just think they were not good, I thought they were little balls of stinking snot… Yuck… So when Tom told me – we must have been living together for a couple of years at that time – that he really liked Brussels sprouts I looked at him pitiful. ‘Seriously?? You like them?? Well don’t expect me to ever cook them for you!’ That was more or less my response. But ok, I knew by than that my mum just wasn’t the best of cooks and there were a couple of other things I didn’t like growing up that turned out to be surprisingly good once made differently. (like kale for instance)
So when I saw a recipe featuring Brussels Sprouts at some point in a mash together with some other veggies I figured it would be a safe dish to give those little snot balls another try. And so it happened; and they were ok. Not world changing or anything but just ok. Ok enough to let go of my sprouts phobia just a little bit, but not as much that I would be buying them on my own free will all of a sudden. And that remained like that for a while until – well until I made this dish really.
Because wow… how good is this!! By roasting them they get a completely different flavor than the taste I’ve been used to growing up. This is good. Really really good. And the hazelnuts and bacon go together really well too. I roasted the Brussels sprouts in some garlic oil and a little bit of lemon oil. It’s a crime to ever cook these darlings again!
Obviously when you do not have garlic or lemon oil, you can use regular olive oil and add a bit of garlic and/or lemon
- 500 gram Brussels sprouts go for the smaller ones
- 150 gram bacon cut into strips
- 3 tbsp garlic oil
- 1 onion cut roughly
- 75 gram hazelnuts roasted and roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp of lemon oil
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Preheat the oven to 220 C.
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Clean the Brussels Sprouts and cut them in half or in quarters if they're big. Put into a large baking tray so they don't crowd each other.
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Add the slices of bacon and onion. Mix together.
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Add the garlic oil and the lemon oil and stir everything through so all sprouts are covered with a big of oil.
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Add salt and pepper and put into the preheated oven. Stir it all halfway through the baking time.
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As soon as they are done (try one of them to make sure) put into a serving tray and sprinkle with the roasted hazelnuts.
A fantastic combo! Very tasty.
Cheers,
Rosa
Totally delicious indeed!
I simply adore nuts with veggie dishes! This looks fabulous!
Thanks Tori. It’s like bacon I guess… Nuts make so many things better!
Hehe at Snot Balls! I guess they are green 😛 Mercifully my parents never fed me these so I don’t have any childhood memories of them. But I do love them with bacon I must admit 😀
O lucky you for not being fed little green snot balls as a child… Lol.. It took me so long to get over it! 🙂
Hi Simone,
I know what you mean… I hated them as a kid and my mum would always make them this time of the year around the new years celebrations. It was a torture each time as a child! ^.^ I think kids in general rarely like Brussels sprouts because their taste receptors are much more sensible. Also as you said it, roasting is the way to go for brussels sprouts, I think that makes a huge difference in the flavor of the dish. I like all the ingredients that you have added and I think I would enjoy your brussels sprouts with hazelnut and bacon. =) Cheers, I wish you a happy new year!
I seriously don’t k ow why my mum always made them as well.. I’m guessing because they were cheap and with a family with four kids…. But still none of us liked them so it was always a waste of veggies… Happy new year to you too Helene!
Simone, these Brussels Sprouts look amazing! I have to admit – the first time I made them, I failed miserably and cooked them to long. But, these definitely make me want to try them again! Pinned!
You should really try these Kristi. And once you have roasted them I am pretty sure you’ll never go back to cooking!
These brussel sprouts look delicious, Simone! I love the addition of bacon and hazelnuts. Gives it so much flavor! Yum!
Thanks so much Gayle!
Haha, I used to really hate brussels sprouts too! I still think they stink, but they taste so good it is worth the smell 🙂 I think I finally came around to them when I had them roasted, they are so delicious when you roast them. And adding bacon and hazelnuts!? That sounds amazing!
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