The Classic Thanksgiving: Brussel Sprouts

Brussel sprouts are a classic veggie served on Thanksgiving. It is usually cooked with bacon, but I’m not a huge fan of bacon, so I decided to replace the bacon with pancetta. This, in my opinion, is a more elevated and tasty version of the classic dish. It also sounds pretty fancy even though it’s a quick and easy dish to execute. I recommend using Mise en place which means prepping all of the ingredients before beginning to cook. 

Ingredients

5 cups of Brussel sprouts - cleaned and halved

1/2 cup pancetta - diced

3 tbsp butter

Sage 

EVOO 

Salt and pepper

Directions
Cook your pancetta until its crispy and the fat has rendered out. Transfer it to a bowl and set aside. Using the same pan you cooked your pancetta in, drizzle some olive oil. Lay the Brussel sprouts on the pan, cut side down. Turn the heat onto medium-high and let the Brussel sprouts crisp up. It’s really important to not touch the Brussel sprouts for at least two minutes. When the cut side is golden brown, mix all of the Brussel sprouts up. Place a lid over the pan for 1 minute to let the Brussel sprouts soften up. Take the lid off when they turn a vibrant green. Add your butter along with the sage to the pan. Let the butter brown in the pan with the Brussel sprouts. This part shouldn’t take long, about one minute. Take the Brussel sprouts off the heat and transfer to a bowl. Enjoy!