Roasted Brussels Sprouts.

Dave will eat anything.  Anything.  I once saw him order and eat an appetizer of beef carpaccio.  Do you know what that is?  That right there is raw freaking meat, peeps.  Barf.  My point is, there are few things he won’t eat, but that doesn’t mean that he likes everything either. 

Vegetables are a sore subject because anything mushy he hates.  That part is fine, I hate mushy, stewed, overcooked anything too.  The part that is hard, is convincing him to try something he ‘hates’ prepared differently.  It happened with zucchini until we grilled it.  It happened with carrots until we roasted them.  It happened with mushrooms until we sautéed them into a caramelized masterpiece. 

Oh hi, Brussels sprouts, you’re next… I am going to cook you and make you delicious just to convince him that he doesn’t hate you.

You will need:

• 1 pound of fresh Brussels sprouts
• 2 teaspoons of bacon grease {if you don’t have this in your fridge, don’t fret, just add a little more olive oil}
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 2 teaspoons of honey
• 1 Tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of spice mix {I used Weber KickN’ Chicken, it is my fave}
• 1 teaspoon of sea salt {or 1/2 t of table salt}

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Wash and cut your Brussels sprouts into quarters, cutting the hard rough stem end off and removing any discolored or damaged leaves from the outside.  Throw them all in a baking dish or a cookie sheet with sides, do not over crowd.

OK, so we keep bacon grease in the fridge, saved in a glass jar after cooking it.  I don’t know if that makes us weird or if everyone does this.  I’ve never asked around, but I’m going to.  If you don’t do this, you are more than welcome to use just a little more olive oil, but I think the bacon grease gives it a good little kick of flavor. 

Anywho, you will melt 2 teaspoons of this in the microwave.  Then add the olive oil, balsamic, honey, and spice mix.  Mix all of this together with a fork, or shake it together in a jar if you’d like.  Pour over the top of the Brussels sprouts and use your hands to make sure everything is mixed and coated properly.  Then, sprinkle the sea salt on top.

Turn the oven down to 400 degrees and pop your tray in the oven.  Roast for 25 minutes, giving a shake of the pan half way through.  

Everything will be all brown and caramelized and so full of roasty goodness that even a Davester would like them.  I like mine with mashed potatoes and grilled pork.

And I have to know, is there bacon grease in your fridge?