Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Candied Bacon and Walnuts

If your mother could only see you drooling over brussels sprouts.

What better way to kick off the beginning of brussels sprout season than with some bacon and maple syrup? We’ve given you variations on this dish before, but this one rules them all.

Equipment Needed: Baking Pan with Rack, Aluminum Foil, 2 Baking Sheets, Chef’s Knife, Cutting Board, 2 Small Mixing Bowls

Serving Suggestion: Family Style

Servings: 6

Suggested Wine Pairing: Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio

Suggested Beer Pairing: Dark Belgians, Brown Ale, Dunkelweizen,

Ingredients:

• 1 lb brussels sprouts (about $3/lb)
• 1/2 C walnut halves (about $9/lb)
• 1/2  C grade A maple syrup, divided (about $7/8 oz)
• 2-3 TBSP brown sugar ($1.39/lb)
• 1 TBSP butter ($4.99/lb)
• 6 strips bacon ($6/lb)
• 2 shallots ($1.99/lb)
• 2 cloves garlic ($2.99/lb)
• 1 TSP cayenne pepper ($3/2 oz jar)
• 3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil ($9.99/34 oz bottle)
• Salt
• Pepper

Preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. All three components to this dish can be put in at the same time, so hold off until you’ve got everything prepped.
• Wash the brussels sprouts, peel off any brown leaves and put an “X” about 1/4 inch deep into the bottom of each sprout. Mince the garlic and cut the shallots in half. Place the three ingredients on one of your baking sheets, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pop them in the oven for about 20 minutes or until nicely browned.

Oil those bad boys up.

• Put the bacon and the rest of the maple syrup in a mixing bowl and thoroughly coat each piece. While that’s marinating a bit, cover the baking rack in aluminum foil.

Yes, that is a bowl of bacon and maple syrup. Nom nom nom.

• Put the bacon on the rack in a single layer and sprinkle brown sugar and some cayenne pepper over the top. Bake for 15 minutes or until crispy.

A light dusting of cayenne adds some nice heat to the sweet.

• In your other bowl melt the butter in the microwave and mix it with 1/4 C of maple syrup. Cover your other baking sheet in foil, coat the walnuts in the mixture and salt them lightly. Put them in the oven and toast for about 10 minutes. Keep an eye on these because they’ll be gross and a mess to clean up if they burn.
• Cut the bacon into 1/2 inch strips and toss it with the veggies and walnuts. Serve and devour.

Lemon Roasted Chicken with Brussel Sprouts and Mashed Potatoes

A little plate of happiness.

This comfort food menagerie came together during “cleaning out the freezer/pantry” week but reinforces how the simplest meals can sometimes be the best. Don’t be intimidated by roasted chicken, simply pop it in the oven and let the garlic butter and lemon slices marinate it as it cooks. Turkey bacon helps keep the brussel sprouts company and the mashed potatoes are, well…a starchy standby. Make each dish by itself or pull together a familiar feast with all three.

Equipment Needed: Roasting Pan, Baking Sheet, Frying Pan, 5 Qt Pot, Cutting Board, Chef’s Knife, Meat Thermometer, Potato Masher, Colander

Serving Suggestion: Individual Plating

Servings: 4

Suggested Wine Pairing: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc

Suggested Beer Pairing: Lighter Ales, Lagers, Pilsners

Ingredients:

• 1 3-5 lb chicken (usually about $1.50/lb)
• 2 lbs potatoes ($0.99/lb)
• 1 16 oz bag frozen brussel sprouts ($2)
• 6 strips turkey bacon ($4.29/12 oz)
• 2 lemons ($0.50/each)
• 3 TBSP butter ($4.99/lb)
• 4 TBSP white vinegar ($1.99/32 oz)
• 1/4 C half & half (it’s all we had; you can use milk or heavy cream if you prefer)($1.69/pint)
• 6 cloves garlic ($2.99/lb)
• About 4 TBSP Extra virgin olive oil ($9.99/34 oz bottle)
• 2 TBSP Herbes de Provence ($3.50/1.25 oz jar)
• Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese ($12.99/lb)
• Salt
• Pepper

Chicken Preparation:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Rinse and pat the chicken dry. Slice the lemons into thin discs and mince three of the garlic cloves.

Slice the lemons about 1/16 of an inch thick. Get a ruler, we'll wait.

• Mix 2 TBSP of butter with the garlic and stuff it underneath the skin of the chicken. Be sure to separate the skin and get butter in every nook to ensure a properly basted bird. Insert lemon rounds into the spaces as well and place any additional pieces on the roasting rack (or bottom of the pan) as a bed for the chicken.

User room temperature butter for easier mixing.

Put as many lemon slices under the skin as you can fit for even juicing.

• Sprinkle salt, pepper and Herbes de Provence all over the skin and place the chicken in the oven for about an hour or until the internal temperature reads 165° F. Let rest for at least 5 minutes before carving to let the juices redistribute.

Let that bird rest; it's had a long day

Brussel Sprout Preparation:

• About 20 minutes before the chicken’s done, place the brussel sprouts on the baking sheet and coat evenly with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, turning once. (Use a 400° F oven if you’re making them separately)

Oven-ize those sprouts.

• While your mini cabbage is roasting, cut the turkey bacon into thin strips, fry it and drain it. Mince the other three cloves of garlic and brown them in the remaining turkey bacon grease (you may actually need to add a little olive oil to the pan).

It's fake, but it's still called bacon so it gets a picture.

• Once the brussel sprouts are done, add all of the ingredients to the frying pan and toss with white vinegar. Serve with shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano on top.

Add a tangy contrast to the bitterness and turkey-ness

Mashed Potatoes Preparation:

• Wash and remove the eyes from your potatoes. You can peel them if you like, but we prefer to leave the skin on.

Cut your potatoes into equal-sized chunks for even cooking.

• Quarter the potatoes and place them in your 5 Qt pot. Cover with water, put on the stove over high heat and bring to a boil.
• Once the potatoes are boiling, cook for about 25-30 minutes until you can easily slide a fork into them. At that point drain the spuds, add a tablespoon of butter and the half and half and go to town with the masher. Spoon and consume.

You can be more or less indulgent using cream or milk.