Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Maple Syrup and Bacon

This recipe was kind of an accident.  I had originally planned to just roast some brussel sprouts with bacon.  Half way through cooking, I started to smell maple syrup.  Huh?  I then realized that I had used the maple flavored bacon that Drew bought himself.  Oops!  They were already half way done so there was no going back, so I just decided to roll with it.  They turned out great.  Sweet and salty, which is one of my favorite combinations.   I had never thought that maple syrup and brussel sprouts could ever go well together.  You learn something new every day!  Brussel sprouts are so much more than that yucky vegetable your parents used to make you eat when you were younger.  They really can be delicious and I'm on a mission to prove it!

1 - 1 1/2 lbs. Brussel sprouts
5 sliced Bacon, diced (regular or maple flavored)
2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Crushed red pepper flakes
2 tbsp Maple syrup (the real stuff, not the fake stuff)



Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Trim the brussels sprouts.  Cut off the root end.

Cut in half lengthwise.

Some of the outer leaves will fall off but that's okay.  They can be tough and discolored.

Spread them out on a sheet tray or a large baking dish.

I can help??

Dice up the bacon.

What's going on down there?

Sprinkle the bacon over the brussel sprouts.

Drizzle everything with some olive oil.  The bacon is going to give off a lot of fat, so we don't want to use too much oil.  Season with salt and crushed red pepper then roast in the oven for 30 minutes.  Stir occasionally.

After 30 minutes, pour the maple syrup over the brussel sprouts, toss, turn off the oven and let them stand in the oven for a few more minutes.

Serve right out of the oven!  Yum.  Happy accident.