Servings: 6 Prep: 10 min Cook: 20 min Total: 30 min
I love Brussels sprouts. I tend to think of them as divisive. People either love them, or they hate them, much like polka music or Larry the Cable Guy. I’m one of the ones who love these little cabbage buds!
This particular side dish recipe is for really well cooked Brussels sprouts, which have been pre-cooked (blanched and shocked).
This will essentially be fried in butter and/or bacon fat, with some baby Portobello mushrooms (known as “cremini” mushrooms), and bacon bits.
When the whole thing is opulently divine, it’ll be finished with heavy cream and Dijon mustard, when it will cook for a moment or two longer, until the cream reduces and clings like a flavorful sludge all over the surface of the bacon laden veggies.
Smile and serve!
Creamed Brussel Sprouts with Mushrooms and Bacon
Print RateIngredients
- 1 lb brussels sprouts
- 2 tbsp butter or bacon fat
- 1 lb cremini or button mushrooms halved or quartered
- 1/4 cup bacon bits
- 3/4 cup cream heavy whipping
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
- salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place a pot of salted water on the stove to boil. The water should be fairly salty.
- Once the water boils, throw your brussel sprouts into the water to boil.
- Let them boil for about 4 to 6 minutes. Remove the smaller ones first, and plunge them into a big bowl of ice water. Keep removing them from the water and adding to the ice water, from smallest to largest. They should be firm, but cooked. NOT soft. You will continue cooking them, later.
- Once they are all in the ice water, let them stay in the ice water for about 10 minutes, until they are completely chilled, all the way through. Remove them and drain them, so they are dry.
- Cut them in half, so that the stem stays intact on both halves. You can also trim any loose leaves and any brown or fibrous stem ends, at the point. These can be tough.
- Set aside to be cooked later ... or just cook them!
- To cook, place a large non-stick sauté pan on the stove. Get it hot over medium-high heat.
- Add your butter and/or bacon fat to the pan and swirl it around, so the bottom is coated. It may start immediately browning. This is ok, but do not let it burn.
- Even if the butter is not fully melted, add your mushrooms and season with a bit of salt and pepper. Toss them in the pan, so that they are well coated with the fat. Allow them to sauté for about a minute.
- Add your Brussels sprout halves. With tongs, try to position them so that their cut side if facing the bottom of the pan. The whole pan should be one layer deep, with each instance of an ingredient touching the bottom of the pan. This keeps everything cooking evenly and browning appropriately. It also helps to keep the pan hot, without excessive ingredients cooling the pan down to such a degree that the veggies boil/steam, rather than "fry" in the fat.
- After about 3 minutes, the Brussels sprouts should have a nice color on their face. Add your bacon bits. Toss them all around and season with a bit more salt and pepper.
- Add your cream and Dijon to the mix. Fresh herbs are also nice (fresh rosemary, in particular!). Match the herbs to whatever you might be serving this with!
- Let the cream reduce around the vegetables. This should be done over high heat. The goal is to reduce the cream quickly, so that it sticks and clings to the vegetables, but to be done rapidly, before the Brussels sprouts overcook, fall apart and become "mushy".
- Once the cream is thick and gloopy, toss it all one more time, adjust seasoning and serve!
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This is so good!! Had it with some smoked chicken. I am in love!! You have some amazing recipes!! Thank you!!
YAY! Thank you, Sharon! Tell a friend! 🙂
These were so good! My husband said I can cook them 3-4 times a week and he wouldn’t mind…
These look delicious, DJ. I am pinning!
Thank you Carolyn and Katie!
DJ, this looks fabulous however, I just hate mustard of any sort (probably because of the vinegar). Is the mustard necessary really? Anything I can use instead?
—Reply posted by Patricia on 1/28/2015
Bet it would be tasty with some grated Parmesan cheese!
Looks yummy…but does not look like low-carb.
sounds yum. I ate brussels sprouts when I was a kid but havent thought about them for awhile. And yes this is low CARB which is the measure of starch in a diet. It’s probly not low CAL as much tho,lol. definitely fiber and protein…
Hi Unknown. I would agree with the other unknown … it’s low-carb, but not low-fat. In all cases … it’s DELICIOUS, however you want to categorize it! 🙂
I have a bag of frozen brussel sprouts (I KNOW–WHAT WAS I THINKING!!) that I don’t know what to do with–do you think they’d work in this or still be mush? Thanks in advance for all your experimentation and sharing with those of us less creative!
Hi Becky, I’m sorry … I have no idea! I’ve never used a frozen brussels sprout. I have no clue how well it would work. My assumption is … it would work just fine. Most vegetables are just quickly cooked, chilled and then frozen, which is essentially what I have people doing (minus the freezing part). My guess is that if you defrosted the sprouts, split them and fried them in butter … that it would work. That said … it’s just a hunch and I reserve the right to be wrong. Give it a shot and let me know! 🙂
I made this tonight. My goodness, it was do delicious!!!??
Glad to hear it, Unknown! Thanks for checking in! 🙂
Just tried this tonight. You are the bomb diggity! These were delish!
You know, Gail, I was just thinking that. I AM the bomb diggety! 😉 Thanks for the kind words! 😀
I do a similar recipe but using asparagus.
Slightly precook the asparagus. Saute some garlic and shallots in butter, add the asparagus then add the cream/dijon mixture until all is coated.
I will give the brussel sprouts a try!
—Reply posted by DJ on 1/28/2015
Sounds delicious, Patricia. I think you’re quite familiar with this flavor combo, then. I think you’ll love it here!
I had all these ingredients on hand and just finish making and eating this! SO good! I ate it as main dish and side dish. Don’t make this when you’re too hungry or you might eat the whole batch! I made mine with fresh brussel sprouts 3mins steam-in-bag instead of boiling. Then cooked everything else the same. If I had frozen, I would just let them thaw on their own them add them to the mushrooms – thank you for a new favorite!
—Reply posted by DJ on 1/30/2015
Just make sure you steam them with a bit of salt. Get those things seasoned quickly and early! It makes a difference. Glad you enjoy them! 🙂
I don’t bother with blanching the Brussels Sprouts to make this dish… I just cut these up and nuke until slightly soft in the microwave… I LOVE this recipe… and am making it for the second time tonight…. last time I ate it as my main dish (didn’t start out thinking that way)… tonight, this IS the main dish. AWESOME!
—Reply posted by DJ on 2/17/2015
Hi Kris, try tossing them with a little bit of salt before nuking them. The blanching is largely an effort to get some seasoning deeper into the sprouts, to give them a greater depth of flavor. Give it a shot. I think you’ll agree it makes a difference! 🙂