Sauteed Brussel Sprouts
I think brussel sprouts are a little hard to love.
And, why is that? They are super cute and look like little baby cabbages! And, they grow on stalks that look like a sleigh bell instrument! Pretty cool, right?! Well, they can be a little bitter if not prepared properly. They can smell a little strong when they are cooking. But don’t hold that against them. They are still delicious!
My first experience with the cute little brussel was on my lunch tray at school. They were overcooked, mushy and bitter and I turned my head and said no anytime I saw them after that. When I did my first Whole 30, I was always looking for ways to add in variety and keep our meals interesting. I decided to give these cute little guys another try. I found a recipe for roasted brussel sprouts with bacon. They were delicious and my kids even loved them. My husband, however, was a different story. He didn’t like how the house smelled when I cooked them so he asked me not to cook them again if he was going to be home. I think it brought back some unpleasant memory of hotdogs and sauerkraut from back in the day but I thought to myself “you’re going to need to get over that!” So, I took on the challenge of swinging him back around to brussel sprout goodness.
We all need variety in our diets to get all the nutrients we need and to keep it fresh and exciting. Brussel sprouts are nutritionally dense and are high in fiber and are rich with vitamins C and K and antioxidants. And those roasted brussel sprouts with bacon were delicious! I still love to roast brussel sprouts but sometimes I’m short on time. Using this method, they’ll be on the table twice as fast and you’ll still have tasty, caramelized brussel sprouts! And there are no more complaints from my husband. He loves them as much as I do!
Start off by rinsing the brussel sprouts in a colander and trimming the stems at least ¼". This is where the bitterness comes in if not prepared properly. Depending on the size of your brussel sprouts, you may want to trim a little more.
Some of the outer leaves will fall off when you trim the stems. If they don’t, I usually peel at least one outer layer off because they are a little tough. You can save those for brussel chips, compost or toss them.
I then slice them fairly thin, about ¼”.
Once the brussel sprouts are all sliced, cut up 1-2 cloves of fresh garlic. The number of cloves I use depends on the size of the bulb of garlic. If it’s a pretty good size, I’ll use just one or even ½ of one if it’s from a jumbo bulb.
Now you can either use 1-2 slices of cooked bacon or you can chop the bacon and cook it first. I like to chop the bacon so it’s fairly small. You can also skip the bacon altogether if you want this dish to be vegan/vegetarian. It will be just as good. We just happen to enjoy it with bacon. If you don’t have bacon, you can also use bacon grease. I usually save mine so I normally have it on hand.
Heat your skillet on medium heat, add ½ tablespoon of avocado or olive oil to your pan and add the chopped garlic and bacon. If you’re cooking the bacon from scratch, you may not need as much or any oil. Just use your bacon grease that’s in the pan.
Once your garlic is getting a nice golden brown, add your sliced brussel sprouts. This will take about 6 minutes if you’re not cooking the bacon from scratch. If you are cooking raw bacon, I’d cook it by itself until it’s somewhat crispy and then add your chopped garlic.
I like to leave them undisturbed for a bit so they get that nice sear. (Around 4 minutes) Once they start to sear, stir them around so the less cooked pieces can have their chance to sear. If the pan starts to seem dry, add another splash of oil. This will help you get that beautiful sear. Once I stir them around, I leave them undisturbed for another 4 minutes. I like to leave the pan on medium heat the entire time. If you like to cook at a hotter heat, then these times will need to be adjusted.
Once they are softened, take them off the heat and enjoy. It usually takes about 15-20 minutes to get that great caramelized sear. Season with fresh cracked pepper and pink himalayan salt.
Sauteed Brussel Sprouts
1-2 lbs brussel sprouts
1-2 cloves of garlic or 1 tsp. minced garlic
1-2 slices of bacon
½ tablespoon of olive or avocado oil
fresh ground pepper
fresh ground pink Himalayan salt
Directions:
Rinse the brussel sprouts in a colander and trim the stems at least ¼". Your brussel sprout will look a little more round at this point.
Slice the brussel sprouts fairly thin, about ¼”.
Chop 1-2 gloves of fresh garlic.
Chop 1-2 slices of cooked bacon.
Set skillet to medium heat, add ½ tablespoon of avocado or olive oil to your pan and add the chopped garlic and bacon. If you’re cooking the bacon from scratch, use the bacon grease in your pan to saute the garlic. This will take 5-7 minutes if you’re not cooking the bacon from scratch, if you are cooking the bacon, cook it until it’s partially done and then add the minced garlic.
Add your brussel sprouts. Let the brussel sprouts sit undisturbed for about 4 minutes, then stir. If they are not getting a good sear, cook a little longer before stirring. I usually cook another round or two at 4 minutes until all of the brussel sprouts are caramelized and have a nice golden sear. Towards the end of the cooking time (after you have a nice sear), if the brussel sprouts still seem a little crunchy, put a lid on and let them steam a few minutes. Check them after 2 minutes though because you don’t want them to get mushy like that school lunch tray. If you’re worried about them getting mushy, just take them off the heat once you have the nice sear and put the lid on for 2-3 minutes.
Season with fresh cracked pepper and pink himalyan salt and enjoy!
