Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

While I would definitely like to take all of the credit for this recipe, I cannot... But, I must give Sunny Anderson, and whoever her inspiration was, credit, because these are absolutely delicious! Go figure, since they have bacon in them!! ;-P
Now, I know what you must be thinking... "This poor girl is gonna die of a coronary in no time with all of that bacon she eats!" And I would just like to clarify that I am in NO way like Paula Deen! While I completely adore bacon and would eat it every single day if I could, I do possess some small degree of restraint and only enjoy it occasionally. And never in moderation then! Hee hee hee!

As for this recipe, I did change a couple of the things from the original. While I do thoroughly enjoy bacon, I also do try to keep things healthy so opt for the center cut bacon which is leaner and also tends to be lower in sodium. (I have serious issues with sodium-infused food products. Have you heard that rant yet?! Lol) I also don't count on the Brussels sprouts roasting in the pan, since they don't have enough time to cook properly, so I steam them first and then add them to the pan to roast. When you steam the sprouts for a few minutes before adding them to the pan, they come out perfectly in the end - cooked, but still crisp-tender. Please, DO NOT EVER overcook your vegetables!!
Just a few little differences, but I rather enjoy my results! :-)

Printable Recipe

10 strips center-cut bacon
2 lb. fresh Brussels sprouts, cleaned and halved
2 Tbsp. butter
2 shallots, diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the strips of bacon onto a sheet pan fitted with a rack and place into a cold oven. Turn the oven to 400° and cook for about 12 to 20 minutes, depending on how crispy you like your bacon. Remove the bacon from the rack, reserving the pan drippings, and drain on paper towels, then roughly chop or crumble.
Meanwhile, steam the Brussels sprouts, working in small batches, for three minutes per batch. I use a special steamer set that's designed for the microwave - if you do this, be sure to change the water between batches and add fresh cold water to the steamer bowl before adding each new batch of sprouts. Place the already steamed Brussels sprouts in a large bowl until you're ready to add them to the pan.
In a large sauté pan or Dutch oven, melt the butter with 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until they are transparent. Increase the heat to medium-high; add the Brussels sprouts and cook, stirring occasionally, until sprouts are golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and toss bacon into pan. Serve immediately. Yield: 6-8 servings (or 2-4, whatever! :-D)