Brussels sprouts with baconSmoking Brussels sprouts with bacon makes use of the great outdoors, says Franco Magliaro.

Smoking sprouts simple and scrumptious

Backyard cookery makes sense once Windsor’s weather turns warm, says Franco Magliaro, systems technical support specialist in the Leddy Library.

He recommends a smoker for his recipe for Brussels sprouts and bacon, which he is sharing with the campus community.

“I prefer to use a cast iron pan or Dutch oven, but any metal pan that can go onto a barbecue will work for this dish,” he says. “You just need a smoker of some type or a barbecue with a smoker tube — or even just one that burns charcoal.”

Super Simple Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Ingredients

  • 20 or more Brussels sprouts
  • 10 bacon strips
  • Olive oil to coat the bottom of your pan
  • Salt to taste (optional)
  • 1 cup of beer (can be dealcoholized if preferred)

Instructions

  1. Pre-warm smoker to about 300° F.
  2. Wash and trim Brussels sprouts and cut in half to reduce cooking time and allow smoke to get into the vegetable.
  3. Cut bacon into 1-inch cubes.
  4. Coat bottom of the pan with olive oil.
  5. Place sprouts in the pan and add beer.
  6. Sprinkle on salt if using; most bacon is salty enough without it!
  7. Layer bacon over the sprouts.
  8. Place the pan into the smoker and cook for about 20 minutes. They are done when a fork can easily go through the sprouts.
  9. Remove from the smoker and stir a bit to coat the Brussels sprouts in pan liquid.
  10. Let sit for two to three minutes before serving.

Magliaro adds that sprouts can be replaced with green beans or similar vegetables, even root vegetables like carrots or potatoes, although they will typically take much longer in the smoker.

Find more recipes — as well as a place to submit your own — on the Healthy Eating website.