Creamed Brussel Sprouts with Mushrooms and Bacon

5 from 2 votes

Creamed Brussel Sprouts with Mushrooms and Bacon

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!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time30 mins

Servings: Servings

Calories: 216.72833333333kcal

Author: DJ Foodie

Ingredients

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!

Nutrition