Pinned & prepped: Brussels sprouts with bacon & walnuts

2012 June 21

by Emily Hill

Yes, that says “Brussels sprouts” but before you turn up your nose (literally and figuratively), you might want to give this recipe a try.

Truth be told, I couldn’t eat Brussels sprouts as a side dish with every dinnertime meal, but I do enjoy them every now and again. I stumbled across C+C Marriage Factory‘s recipe for Brussels sprouts with bacon and walnuts while checking out a recipe for slow cooker pork tenderloin (I’ll be posting that recipe tomorrow–a total keeper!) and it sounded like a great way to force convince my kids to eat Brussels sprouts.
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Source: candcmarriagefactory.com via Emily on Pinterest

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Sadly, the older two kids only tolerated the Brussels sprouts; the younger two wouldn’t touch them.

The good news is Nathan and I loved these Brussels sprouts with bacon and walnuts, so I’ll definitely be making this vegetable side dish again. It was the perfect complement to the slow cooker pork tenderloin, a recipe that was truly a family favorite.

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I found photographing Brussels sprouts with bacon and walnuts about as challenging as pork tenderloin drizzled with a dark glaze. Believe me when I say this side dish tastes better than it looks, especially if you’re already a fan of Brussels sprouts.

I used my food processor to shred the Brussels sprouts and boy, did it shred them. My version of this recipe had more of a coleslaw feel to it, which I didn’t mind one bit. I do recommend using walnut oil rather than canola or vegetable oil to give the dish that extra, rich walnut flavor. And definitely go with thick-cut bacon.

Mmmmm…bacon…

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What you’ll need for the original recipe:

Cider vinegar (I used salad vinegar)
Brown sugar
Walnut oil (or oil of your choice or apple cider)
Thick-cut bacon
Brussels sprouts
Toasted walnuts, chopped
Kosher salt, to taste
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
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Previous pinned & prepped recipes:

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Want to see what else I find “pinteresting?” Find me on Pinterest here.
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9 Responses Post a comment

Jeanette permalink

June 22, 2012

I love brussels sprouts. Roasted some not long ago w bacon and then sprinkled smoked gouda over them and they were amazing. My kids loved them. Go figure. I think trying new things is a great benefit of being part of a CSA. Otherwise I would never buy them at the store. Better really fresh, I think.
Jeanette´s deep thought ~ Summer

[Reply]
Emily Reply:
June 22nd, 2012 at 6:29 pm
Roasted and sprinkled with smoked gouda sounds divine! Mmm…
Emily´s deep thought ~ Pinned & prepped: Brown sugar & balsamic-glazed pork loin

[Reply]
Mary@FitandFed permalink

June 27, 2012

My husband made a chiffonade of brussel sprouts, it took a lot of knife work. Compared to that, the food processor sounds like a good idea. The smoky flavor is really a nice one to add here. You did it with bacon, Jeanette with the smoked gouda, I often roast brussel sprouts to add a depth of flavor. But to do something like this I would substitute sliced almonds and a shake of smoke flavoring for the bacon.
Mary@FitandFed´s deep thought ~ Food Processor Pizza Dough with White Whole Wheat Flour

[Reply]
Emily Reply:
June 27th, 2012 at 1:35 pm
Mmm…your changes definitely sound like something I need to try! I haven’t roasted Brussels sprouts before but I’m game to give it a shot!
Emily´s deep thought ~ Pinned & prepped: Hello Dolly bars

[Reply]