Trying to incorporate more veggies onto my kids’ plates, and subsequently into their little bellies can take some creativity and a little flexibility. Sometimes I serve veggies and they just sit there on their colorful plates. I don’t force them to take a bite. I simply present the veggie of the day by serving a small portion on their plate and then I rave about how delicious and nutritious they are. The more frequently I present veggies to my kids, the more they get used to seeing them, until one day, they try them. And even if they say ‘no thank you’ on that first try, I have found that by consistently serving small amounts, they are developing more and more of a palate that actually likes vegetables.
I remember as a child, I used to hate Brussels sprouts. Then something changed. I was served just the leaves and not the bitter inner core. I remember that first day I liked Brussels sprouts. And they were served with bacon.
I am sharing two ways to make them: Bacon Brussels Sprouts and Kid-Friendly Brussels Sprouts (scroll down for the kid-friendly version).
I hope you enjoy.
Bacon Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients:
- 1 package of bacon
- About 20 Brussels sprouts
- Sea salt
- Pepper
- (optional 1/8 c chopped dates)
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Place the bacon in a single layer on a 13×9 baking tray. Place in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes.
- While the bacon is in the oven, you can prepare the Brussel sprouts: Rinse and then cut off the ends of the Brussel sprouts. Quarter the sprouts. If they are large, you may want to cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Place the Brussels sprouts in a single layer on a 13×9 baking tray. The bacon in the oven should be finished cooking shortly.
- Once the bacon is finished, remove it from the oven and dice it up on a cutting board. Set the bacon aside for now.
- Use the bacon grease from your bacon pan to drizzle over the Brussels sprouts and then sprinkle the sprouts with desired amount of sea salt and pepper. Using tongs, toss together to combine.
- Place the Brussels sprouts in the oven to bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove the pan with the sprouts from the oven and add desired amount of diced bacon to your Brussel sprouts. (If you are using the optional dates, add them now as well.) Use a pair of tongs to toss the bacon together with the sprouts (and dates) and place the pan of sprouts and bacon (and dates) back in the oven for another 10 minutes, checking after 5 minutes to ensure the sprouts don’t get burned.
- Remove from the oven, let cool, and enjoy!
Kid-Friendly Brussels Sprouts (hello kid, meet Brussels sprout)
Ingredients:
- 1 package of bacon
- About 20 Brussels sprouts
- Sea Salt
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F
- Place the bacon in a single layer on a 13×9 baking tray. Place in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until desired crispiness is reached.
- While the bacon is in the oven, you can prepare the Brussel sprouts: Rinse and then cut off the inedible ends of the Brussel sprouts.
- Only use the Brussel sprout leaves for this recipe: Separate the leaves of the Brussels Sprouts by pulling them apart from the tougher inner core. (If this is your kid’s first try of Brussels sprouts, I have found that using only the leaves is a good introduction to this veggie.)
- Place the Brussels sprout leaves in a single layer on a 13×9 baking tray.
- Once the bacon is finished, remove it from the oven and dice it up on a cutting board. Set the bacon aside for now.
- Use the bacon grease from your bacon pan to drizzle over the Brussels sprout leaves and then sprinkle the sprouts with desired amount of sea salt. Using tongs, toss together to combine.
- Place the Brussels sprouts in the oven to bake for approximately 15 minutes. (Peek after 10 minutes to make sure the leaves haven’t started to burn.) Bonus points if the leaves are slightly crispy, like a “chip”.
- Remove from the oven, let cool, and serve with the diced bacon on the side, for kids to “add on” as desired.
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