Girl to Mom…trying to become a grown up before my kid does.

If you think you don’t like brussel sprouts, or especially if you already do, this easy Brussels sprouts sauteed with bacon recipe might change your life a little for the better, like it did mine last night.

I just made this up as I went along. I used:

1.) Microwavable bag of fresh Brussels sprouts. (You don’t have to steam them in the microwave, use a pan or a pot, either way.)

Steam them ’til they are cooked through and chop them up.

2.) Pre-cooked refrigerated bacon. Yes, I’m that lazy! I used 5 slices and heated it in the micro on a plate with paper towels ’til crisp. Set aside.

You could use turkey bacon or soy bacon if you prefer…or actually cook it yourself, ha.

3.) One tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a large non-stick pan.

4.) A few cloves of garlic, diced, chopped or minced. I used about 4-5 cloves.

5.) Fresh lemon juice.

6.) One tablespoon salted butter.

This is all you do…

After you steam and chop the Brussels sprouts until they’re almost unrecognizable, put the EVOO in the pan and toss in the garlic. Saute that on medium heat until it starts to lightly brown.

Throw in all of the chopped cooked Brussels sprouts and saute together. Add one tablespoon of butter if you like, you can stick with just the olive oil if you prefer.

Now, crumble all of the cooked bacon over the mixture. Stir together and put a lid on it if you like it more cooked. The key is to get slightly caramelized edges (lightly brown) on the sprouts, for best flavor.

Lastly, sprinkle fresh lemon juice over the top, salt and pepper to taste and serve. TA DA!

If you’re a cheese lover, Parmesan cheese is yummy on top of this, and the whole mixture is delicious tossed in pasta. Add chicken breast if you like, for more protein.

If you’re dieting, you can use I Can’t Believe it’s Not Butter Spray in place of the butter, I would still use the oil, though, for taste.

Calories: The entire pan I made above was about 600 calories. I split that between two people and it was a huge amount at 300 calories each, you could easily serve this to 3-4 people as a side.

Also, Brussels sprouts are a cruciferous vegetable like broccoli and cauliflower (super healthy, cancer fighting) and a thermogenic food, so 200 of that 600 calories is essentially a freebie.

Delightful. Delish. Enjoy.

XOXO,

~ Heidi