It’s so funny how what was once such a hated vegetable is, of late, having its day in the sun times ten. Brussels are everywhere and, a favorite of mine, I’m eating them up without shame or hesitation. Here’s a new iteration, kimchi and bacon roasted brussels sprouts, and I suspect you’ll love ’em.
Inspiration for these, if you can believe it, came from the hot bar at Whole Foods. Most of the time I find the food at hot bars is never as good as I want it to be, but these sprouts lived up to the hype I created in my head. They were so good, and I immediately repeated them at home, and I hope that this recipe will make its way into regular rotation in your brussels sprout repertoire as they now are in mine.
I’ve just gotten back from #Vietnamaste and have been thrown way too fast into the realities of life. I hope you can forgive my brevity.
A few notes:
I used frozen brussels sprouts because I hate cleaning vegetables, and frozen work just as well. You can give them a zap in the microwave for a quick thaw before putting them in the oven if you want. Or, if you’re lazier than I am, just put them in frozen. No judgment.
While I love my recipe for homemade kimchi, I don’t love the time it takes to make it. I bought mine at the Korean grocer, so use your favorite brand and have at it (but, you really should try mine- it’s great!).
Kimchi and Bacon Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Crispy brussels sprouts, bacon and kimchi are all tossed together and roasted to perfection
Ingredients
- 4 slices thick cut bacon, diced
- 2 16-ounce bags of frozen brussels sprouts, thawed
- 1 cup jarred kimchi
- 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds, to garnish
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Step 2 In a sauté pan, add the bacon pieces. Cook until crispy, and drain on a paper towel. Reserving about 2 TB of the bacon fat.
- Step 3 In a large roasting pan, add the thawed brussels sprouts and toss them in the reserved bacon fat. Roast for 30 minutes.
- Step 4 After 30 minutes, add the kimchi and the bacon and continue roasting for another 30-45 minutes, until the vegetables are crispy. Sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds and coat well. Serve hot.
Oh it’s so nice to see ceramics from my city on your website! I came here accidentaly while translating a book about food and found such a fantastic surprise! Greetings from Bolesławiec! Hope you’ll have an opportunity to come to Festival of Ceramics in Bolesławiec this year or later 🙂
Unfortunately I just got back from Vietnam and maxed my vacation, but I’ll at it to my list of future travels! I picked up this piece in Poland, as well as a few plates and they are just adorable!