Brussels Sprouts Mash Up

YEAH!!! After a LONG lockdown due to COVID-19 we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel! More than half of our extended family members have the antigens against the virus because they had it, or have been vaccinated or have appointments to be vaccinated within the next 2 weeks! WE ARE THRILLED!!! 

I am hosting Easter dinner at my home - and luck would have it - the weather has been beautiful and is supposed to continue to be through the next several days - so we are able to eat outside in our back yard. My sister in law and I are collaborating and as we spoke today - she said it perfectly "I am WAY TOO excited about this!"

She is doing the ham and the salad. I (well - WE) are doing the Ham Sauce, Rolls, Brussels Sprouts and Mashed Potatoes. 

I didn't link a Brussels Sprouts recipe because I'm doing a mash-up. My 18 year old son (YES! I said 18! I have an actual adult son!!) requested Brussels Sprouts specifically for this dinner. I was shopping when he called with his request and I said "there isn't another kid that would request Brussels sprouts - other than your sisters" and everyone within ear shot turned to look at me. If that isn't a testament to how good they can be - I don't know what is!!

My mash up is going to be these 2 tried and true recipes - Tina's Sprouts and Ina Garten's Roasted Sprouts  HERE'S my plan...

Mash-Up

4-5 lbs Brussels sprouts, 2 1/2 lbs halved  1/2 lbs shaved on your mandolin on the thinnest setting

3 tablespoons good olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 lb uncooked bacon, cut into bite sized pieces

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Halve the sprouts, cut off the brown ends and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 20 minutes (or more depending on your oven), until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly. Sprinkle with more kosher salt.

Put the sprouts in to bake and start the bacon in a sautee pan until nice and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon. Fry the shaved sprouts in the bacon fat until almost tender. Mix the bacon, bacon fat and shaved sprouts with the roasted sprouts.

My plan is to do this as close to dinner time as possible. I plan to serve them on a ceramic plate kept warm on my electric buffet server.

Crossing my fingers - and licking my lips!!

I'll be posting updates on how things went - if I tweaked anything - and pictures FOR SURE!!

*I wrote my tweaks into the recipe above... AND... there's a bit of a story to tell - so check out the next post - Hosting Easter Dinner - what NOT to do! YIPES!!