Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Onions

Brussels sprouts are one of my favorite veggies.  They get such a bad rap, but I think that's because most of us grew up eating them boiled until they turned gray and mushy.  Thankfully we've discovered much more appetizing ways to prepare them these days.  This version is so good, it just might end up on my Thanksgiving table.

Start by cooking some thick bacon until it's nice and crispy.

Remove the bacon from the pan and saute the onions in the bacon drippings.  Oh my!

When the onions turn translucent, add halved Brussels sprouts.

Cook, stirring every now and then, until the Brussels sprouts begin to caramelize and soften.

During the cooking process, a delicious brown "fond" will form in the bottom of your saute pan.  Add a tablespoon of rice vinegar to loosen that wonderful brown flavor into the dish.

Mmm, almost done!

When the sprouts are "crisp tender", stir in the reserved bacon.  Taste carefully and season with salt and pepper before serving.

Enjoy!

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• 3-quart braiser https://amzn.to/3G8I5PD

• large saute pan https://amzn.to/32P4lAI

• my favorite nakiri knife https://amzn.to/3uirfvH

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Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Onions

makes 4-6 servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 slices thick bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch wide pieces

• 1 large onion, minced

• 1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise

• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar

• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large saute pan (or braiser) over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp; remove bacon from pan, but reserve bacon drippings.

2. Still over medium heat, saute onions in bacon drippings until soft and translucent.

3. Add Brussels sprouts and toss frequently until they start to caramelize a bit and become "crisp tender".

4. Add rice vinegar to deglaze pan and stir in reserved bacon.

5. Season with salt and pepper.

How to Make Hearty Soup without a Recipe

How to Make Hearty Soup without a Recipe

If you stock your freezer and pantry with a few simple ingredients, you'll always be able to pull together a quick pot of hearty soup.  Basically all you need is some protein, a little starch, a variety of vegetables, and flavorful stock.  Keeping a stash of Homemade Chicken Stock in my freezer is my secret weapon for a lot of things, but for soup, I consider it an essential.  Whether I buy a rotisserie chicken at the store or roast a chicken at home, I always use the carcass to make stock.  

For this soup, I started with about 8 cups of stock and added a small bag of frozen tortellini, 16 ounces of frozen mixed veggies, about 1/2 cup of frozen edamame, a small bag of frozen swiss chard, a can of rinsed and drained cannellini beans, about a cup of mushrooms that I sliced and sauted, and 4 cups of leftover cooked chicken I had in the fridge.  And since the recent frost didn't completely kill all of my herbs, I added a sprinkling of fresh chopped parsley and chives too.   That's all there is to it - go make some soup!