Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Onion Bacon Jam

Maybe Sprouts Makes Everything Better

Another controversial ingredient, the brussels sprout.  It’s something we absolutely love in this house!  They’re great on their own roasted well with some salt and pepp, but also super easy to dress up and make fancy.  Enter bacon onion jam - the sweet, salty, jammy addition you didn’t know you needed to spice up  your dinner.

This recipe was developed by happenstance.  Usually when we want to fancy-up our sprouts, we’ll do a combo of  bacon and bleu cheese, but over the holidays we went out to eat and ordered brussel sprouts with bacon jam and I was in heaven. I was developing a sprouts recipe already and completely switched gears after tasting the bacon jam. While this is not a replica  of  what we got at the restaurant, it’s delicious. You know what they say, bacon makes everything better.

The jam is easy to make ahead, plus it makes enough for about two sprouts recipes, so you can either double the sprouts or save half in a glass container for a future meal!  Come dinner time, the veggies roast up quick and then you’re ready to go.

Recipe Details

The richness of the bacon and onion jam goes so nicely with the sweet, nutty flavor a well-roasted sprout provides. The jam itself takes a bit of time, but a lot of it is waiting around.  It’s great to whip up while you’re meal prepping and then keep sealed in the fridge for a few days. To start, slice up 12 oz of bacon and cook over medium heat until browned and a lot of the fat has melted off the meat.  Remove the bacon from the saucepan and scoop onto a paper towel lined plate to drain. Drain all but one tablespoon of the grease from the pan - trust me, don’t skip this step. I’ve made the mistake and left too much grease and was left with a very oily jam.

Add the onions, shallots, and garlic to the pan and lower the heat to medium-low.  This is a low and slow process.  You want to avoid having the onions fry and brown, but instead want them to slowly cook and break down into a soft, jammy texture.  After about 15 minutes, once the onions have reached that buttery state, add in the maple syrup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and chili powder. Stir to combine and add the bacon back in.  Let it simmer a few more minutes for the flavors to fully melt together and the mixture to thicken up. Take it off the heat and let it cool before transferring to a glass jar to store until you’re ready to use it.

At dinner time, preheat your oven to 475°.  The key to a tasty brussels sprout is to cook it at a high temperature.  That will give you a really crispy exterior with a soft interior and totally change your sprout eating experience.  Once your sprouts are cooked, mix 5 spoonfuls of the bacon jam mixture, about half of what you prepared, and mix on the tray to help heat up the jam.  Transfer to a bowl and serve warm.  This is definitely best served right away so the outer leaves of the sprouts are as crispy as possible.

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I love this recipe and hope you do! Let me know what you think, tag me in your photos, and message me how else you could use the bacon and onion jam! I’m excited to do some more experimenting myself!