Maple-Bacon Brussels Sprouts

I'm not a big Brussels sprouts person. Neither is TF. But, our most recent produce basket landed us with a pound of them. I spent a while browsing recipes. I wanted something that looked tasty, easy, and didn't require me to leave the house to procure additional ingredients. To that end, I decided to give the Food Network's "Ultimate Brussels Sprouts" recipe a try.

Ultimate Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Mead, Maple Syrup, and Mustard

Slightly adapted from Food Network

Ingredients

• 1/4 c. unsalted butter, divided
• 4-6 slices smokey tempeh
• 1 lb. Brussels sprouts, halved¹
• 1/4 c. mead²
• 2 Tbsp. grainy mustard
• 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. panko breadcrumbs

Directions

1. Fry the tempeh in 1 Tbsp. of butter. Remove from pan, chop, and set aside.
2. In the same pan, melt 2 Tbsp. of butter over medium heat and add the Brussels sprouts cut side down. Cook until underside is lightly browned
3. Add the mead, mustard, maple syrup, tempeh, and salt and stir to mix and coat well.
4. Roast at 425F for 10 minutes.
5. While sprouts are roasting, melt remaining 1 Tbsp. of butter over medium heat and stir in breadcrumbs. Toast until crumbs are lightly browned.
6. When sprouts come out of oven, top with toasted breadcrumbs and serve.

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Variations

Vegan

• 1/4 c. vegan butter or olive oil, divided
• 4-6 slices smokey tempeh
• 1 lb. Brussels sprouts, halved
• 1/4 c. beer³
• 2 Tbsp. grainy mustard
• 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. panko breadcrumbs

Gluten-Free

• 1/4 c. butter, divided
• 4-6 slices smokey tempeh
• 1 lb. Brussels sprouts, halved
• 1/4 c. mead
• 2 Tbsp. grainy mustard
• 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. gluten-free breadcrumbs

FODMAP-Friendly

• 1/4 c. olive oil, divided
• 4-6 slices smokey tempeh
• 1/2 lb. Brussels sprouts, halved
• 4 c. coarsely chopped bok choy
• 1/4 c. mead or beer
• 2 Tbsp. grainy mustard
• 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. gluten-free breadcrumbs

Toss the bok choy in along with the sauce ingredients just before the dish goes into the oven for roasting.

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¹ Mine came pre-trimmed. If yours are not pre-trimmed/ready-to-cook then get 1.25 lbs. and trim the tough ends off before cooking. ^Back

² The original recipe called for dark ale. I had a bottle of mead on hand though and decided to try it out as a substitute. ^Back

³ Most beer is vegan. However, some may use animal products during processing (which would not be listed on the label since they are not technically ingredients). A few breweries have released this information. Look for Samuel Smith, Black Sheep, MillerCoors, Black Isle, and/or Broken Compass. ^Back