Don’t tell anybody…but I LOVE to experiment on unwary dinner guests! Especially when they are “foodie friends” like Cindy and Marty. And especially if they are willing to come out for dinner at our house when the actual air temperature is 9 degrees above zero!
I decided to make a dish I’ve never made before, and I know they’ll be “game” to be my guinea pigs since I already know they like Brussels sprouts. So how bad could this dish be?
I am trying to use up many items from my freezer, and I have a huge bag of Brussels sprouts. So instead of FRESH veggies, I’m trying this dish with FROZEN ones-an even bigger risk! I thawed them out on paper towels to dry them, and cut them in half. I threw them on a cookie sheet with about 4 slices of diced thick cut bacon and a little extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper. I roasted them in a 450 degree oven for about 20 minutes. Then I turned the broiler on HIGH and blasted them for about 3 minutes.
While they were roasting, I poured about 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar in a saucepan and added about 1 T. honey. I reduced this down to a thickened sauce and set aside. Then I cooked about 4 more slices of diced bacon in a pan until crispy. I reserved about 1 T. of that bacon fat and added it to the balsamic and honey reduction. When the Brussels sprouts were roasted I added the cooked bacon and balsamic reduction to the veggies and tossed to coat.
The verdict? Delicious!
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