I have made this a handful of times and it's always been a big hit. I do make a few adjustments though; first I pre-cook the bacon until it's about half done, I don't like mushy sprouts and that's what you get in order for the bacon to crisp up. Next I pour the bacon, any grease from the pre-cooking, the syrup, sprouts and s&p in a bowl and mix it all up, then I add just enough olive oil to coat usually only a couple of tablespoons is needed. I definitely line my baking sheet with foil because the syrup really gets sticky and I cook at 400 for only about 20 minutes. These small adjustments make it perfect every single time.
We love brussel sprouts but I had some issues with this recipe. First of all the 40 minutes at 400 degrees is WAY to long. You end up burning the syrup. Next time I will half them and they should be done in about 15 minutes (the minimum time I think you need for the bacon to cook) I took mine out way before the 40 minutes and they where whole and they were cooked through to tender. I would also just put the olive oil to coat maybe several tablespoons 1/4 of a cup is a lot especially with the bacon rendering out fat. Make sure you line your pan with foil or you will need a jack knife to clean your pan. I would be willing to try this again with these modifications.
My brussels hating husband has requested these again and I did not even have bacon! Soak sprouts in salted water for 1/2 hour first. And line the pan with foil. Possible cut down on the oil too if bacon is fatty.
I have made this several times. Great the way it is written and easy to change up. I now cook my bacon until it is halfway cooked and slice the brussels in half, just a preference for us, cuts the cooking time down. I use the fat from the bacon and some olive oil to just coat, but not 1/4 C. The bacon makes more fat while it continues to cook. I add garlic and walnuts. Thank you for sharing. BTW, my husband hated brussels...not anymore!
4 pieces of bacon... that's just plain silly ;)
Made it with a pound of bacon and got rave reviews! :)
These are like candy! I added a couple of tablespoons of oil and a couple tablespoons of maple syrup with salt and pepper into a zipper bag. Boiled the Brussels sprouts in salted water for five minutes, cooled and then halved them. (That makes them more tender.) Tossed them in the bag with the oil, syrup, and seasonings to coat. Spread them out on a sheet lined with foil. I didn't add bacon. They took almost 45 minutes. So yummy!
Trimmed off bottoms and cut sprouts in half lengthwise. Tossed all ingredients together in bowl (loosely measured ingredients) to coat, then spread out in stoneware baking dish. Baked till sprouts were browned all over and tender, and bacon crisp. Teenage kids loved it. Not a drop leftover.
375, folks ... at 400, mine were already black on the bottom after 10 minutes. Turn the temp down and they're nicely browned/carmelized and tasty, with the bacon bits crispy and the whole thing yummy!
I've made this several times after eating something like it at a restaurant one night. A couple of variations are interesting. Tossing in either some chopped walnuts/pine nuts and/or craisins. Or good just the way it's written.
