The Simple Way Alton Brown Turns Brussels Sprouts Into A Mouthwatering Side Dish

Brussels sprouts have come a long way from how I remember them growing up. They weren't really an item my mom made often, but on the rare occasions that they were on the table, I remember a foul, bitter, boiled vegetable that I avoided at all costs. These days, Brussels are a go-to veggie for me; not only do today's Brussels sprouts taste different than they did 30 years ago, but people have also found better ways to cook them, other than boiling them to death. Alton Brown's recipe is a prime example — when he gets involved, you know you're going to be in for a treat.

His simple preparation involves the goodness of bacon, apples, maple syrup, and Dijon mustard all complementing oven-roasted Brussels sprouts. It may sound like a fall-inspired dish, but these sprouts could be a side (or entrée, for that matter) that you reach for all year. 

Brown first cooks bacon strips in the oven. When they are crisp, he sets the strips to the side and reserves the bacon fat. He then tosses halved Brussels with sliced apples in a couple tablespoons of that bacon grease and roasts everything until the Brussels are caramelized and brown. While they are still warm, he then coats the sprouts and apples with a Dijon-maple syrup mixture and tops everything with the chopped, reserved bacon. It's a dish that hits all the right flavor markers; it's savory, smoky, salty, tangy, and sweet, without a hint of Brussels bitterness.

The fact that Alton Brown roasts these Brussels sprouts means he's already off to a good start. When they are cooked in the dry heat of an oven, they get sweet and nutty from the caramelization process. You are also likely to get some Brussels sprout leaves that detach from the bulbs. When this happens, they turn into the most delicious, crispy chips. As the cook in my house, I unapologetically eat all these rogue chips myself whenever I roast them, calling it my "gratuity."

Another way to prepare Brown's dish is to let the air fryer do most of the work for you. Yes, you can air fry bacon as long as you add water to the basin, but you may lose the bacon fat, which is essential in this dish. It may be better to start your bacon on a cold pan or oven-roast the strips first so you can reserve the fat. But you can cook your Brussels and apples in the air fryer, and once they are done, follow the rest of the steps in Brown's recipe. Just be sure the appliance is large enough to cook the ingredients in a single layer so they roast rather than steam. Steaming is too close to boiling, and we all know the perils of boiling Brussels.