maple bacon brussels salad with cranberries and gorgonzola

Brussels sprouts are clearly having their moment right now, their fifteen minutes of fame. They're everywhere. Sautéed, roasted, deep fried, any way you can imagine. I'm gonna go ahead and jump on the brussels sprout train; however, I'd just like to first point out that I liked brussels sprouts before they were cool. My momma served them up boiled when I was a kid and my five-year-old self was all over it. Momma and I were clearly ahead of the brussels sprout game.

In hindsight, I think I may have just liked that they looked like little baby heads of lettuce…but whatever.

Maybe it's all these delicious brussels sprouts recipes popping up on Pinterest or maybe it's just childhood nostalgia, but lately I've been hankering for brussels sprouts in a big way. Like daydreaming about brussels sprouts all day. Yeah, not normal. But, hey, it's healthier than my usual daydreams, which tend to involve Five Guys burgers and brownies.

And all those daydreams added up to this here salad. Brussels sprouts sautéed in bacon grease and maple syrup and mixed with dried cranberries, gorgonzola, and crumbled bacon. Basically, brussels trashed up in the best way possible. I could eat this every day forever. Yeah, it's that good.

maple bacon brussels salad with cranberries and gorgonzola

ingredients:
1/2 pound thick-cut bacon, chopped (about 5 slices)
1 pound brussels sprouts, stems removed and sliced
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup gorgonzola, crumbled

directions:
Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and add the bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crispy, about 5 to 6 minutes. Reserving as much of the bacon grease as possible, remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and place it on a paper towel to remove any extra grease.

Add the brussels to the bacon grease still in the skillet and stir to coat. Cook until the brussels begin to soften, about 5 minutes, then stir in the maple syrup. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, then season with the salt and the pepper.

Remove skillet from heat. Add the bacon back into the skillet along with the gorgonzola and dried cranberries, stirring to combine. Transfer to a plate or serving dish. Refrigerate leftovers.

Yield: 2-4 servings as main dish, 4-6 as side dish

Source: adapted from How Sweet It Is