Bacon and Grapes Brussels Sprouts

Hat tip to Lindsay for tonight’s dinner inspiration.

Ummmm….. yeah, that sounded flippin’ amazing. I think she had me at brussels sprouts. And bacon.

Luckily, I already had all the ingredients on hand and couldn’t wait to get home and put my own spin on the combo.

Instead of roasting the brussels sprouts and grapes, I decided to go the stovetop route.

Like so…

Bacon and Grapes Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

• 4 slices of bacon
• 1 lb brussels sprouts, quartered
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 1/2 pound white + red grapes
• honey
• red pepper flakes
• fresh thyme
• salt and pepper

First, the bacon!

I fried up four pieces until they were nice and crispy, then discarded the bacon grease (leaving just a smidgen to cook with) and set the bacon aside for later.

The brussels sprouts and onion were up next.

I added the brussels sprouts and onion to the remaining bacon grease on high heat and let them cook until the brussels sprouts were soft.

While the brussels were cooking, I halved the grapes and added a drizzle of honey, fresh thyme, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to them (taking a cue from my last experience cooking with grapes – it’s an awesome combo).

The grapes were added to the brussels.

And a couple of minutes later, the bacon joined the party too.

I gave everything a quick toss, seasoned with a little more salt and pepper, and the dish was ready!

I was afraid the grapes and honey would be too sweet in the combo, but they were perfect. I think the bacon brought everything together giving a nice salty, savory edge to the dish.

I served the bacon and grape brussels sprouts with grilled chicken breast and quinoa.

We have zero leftovers. Derek and I polished off every last bite of the quinoa, chicken, and brussels sprouts – it was that good. I think it would make a great side dish to bring for a dinner party or get together. I WILL be making it again.

I had a mini bowl of vanilla ice cream with granola for dessert.

GLEE TIME!

Good night!