Maple Bacon Roasted Brussels Sprouts

There are lots of ways to eat Brussels sprouts, but one of the easiest ways to take them to the next level is to borrow two simple ingredients from the breakfast table: maple syrup and bacon. Maple bacon Brussels sprouts are sweet, salty, smoky, and earthy, and the preparation is really no more difficult than roasting the Brussels sprouts on their own. These Brussels sprouts are even a hit with kids — my 9-year-old daughter gobbled them up and asked when we could have them again.

There are so many different types of bacon out there. Thick-cut is a bit too chewy for this dish. I prefer regular bacon because the fat renders out quickly onto the sprouts, and the bacon pieces will crisp up in about the same amount of time as it takes for the sprouts to cook.

• Place the prepped Brussels sprouts cut-side down. After you’ve halved (or quartered, if large) the Brussels sprouts, drizzle them with olive oil and season with salt and pepper directly on a sheet pan. Then, spread them out so they sit in a single layer, cut-side down for optimal crispiness.
• Cook the Brussels sprouts with the bacon. Cut regular bacon slices crosswise into pieces and scatter the pieces over the Brussels. No need to dirty a separate skillet.
• Don’t stir. Roast in a 450ºF oven until the cut sides are nice and golden-brown. Just let them do their thing; it’ll take about 25 minutes.
• Finish with maple syrup. Go for a darker maple syrup to get a more noticeable maple flavor. After the sprouts are browned and the bacon is crisp, drizzle with maple syrup and toss to combine — there will be enough residual heat to warm up the syrup and help it coat every single bite. Lots of similar recipes call for tossing the Brussels with maple syrup right at the beginning, but I found that the added moisture kept the sprouts from browning well, and made the sheet pan difficult to clean.