My Brussels Sprouts Recipe Is So Tasty, Even My Picky Daughter Asks for Seconds

When the Brussels sprouts craze hit a few years back, I was a little skeptical. The Brussels sprouts of my youth, which were almost always boiled, tasted dreadfully bitter. But out at dinner one night, a friend convinced me to give the modern version in the form of sautéed sprouts a try. Surprisingly, they weren’t bitter at all and tasted sweetly caramelized. I’ve been a fan ever since. 

After that initial re-introduction, I began searching for Brussels sprouts recipes to try at home. None suited the tastes of my family—especially my picky daughter who shuns anything green. So I channeled Dr. Frankenstein, taking parts from various recipes and building a dish of my own. After a little trial and error, the resulting creation—sautéed Brussels sprouts with bacon and pistachios—checks all the boxes. 

The dish combines the crunch of bacon and pistachios with the gooeyness of Parmesan cheese. Sautéing the little cabbages and diced onion renders that sweet caramelized flavor I initially fell in love with. My daughter now requests the dish at every holiday gathering, always going back for seconds.

Do Brussels Sprouts Taste Better Now Than They Used To?

Yes, Brussels sprouts’ rise from “gross” vegetable to culinary darling isn’t a coincidence. In the 1990s, a Dutch scientist isolated the chemical compounds that make the cruciferous vegetable bitter. He then searched for seed types with lower levels of the bitter chemicals and cross-bred them with modern high-yielding plants. The process took many years but eventually produced varieties with better-tasting buds and more of them. These new-and-improved varieties quickly made their way onto the menus of famous chefs across the world and eventually into our homes.

How to Make Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Pistachios

Ingredients 

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, shredded
• 1 (12-ounce) package bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 3/4 cup pistachios, shelled and chopped
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. Heat 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender.
2. Add remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, then add shredded Brussels sprouts. Sauté, stirring often, until the Brussels sprouts are tender.
3. Add in the crumbled bacon, crushed pistachios, and Parmesan cheese. Stir until ingredients are blended and cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Serve warm.

Recipe Tips

• The most time-consuming part of this recipe is shredding the Brussels sprouts. I used to do it by hand but finally broke down and bought a mandoline, which cut (no pun intended) the prep time in half. If you don’t have a mandoline, cut each Brussels sprout in half through the tough root, and then slice it thinly. 
• To make the crumbled bacon, simply cut the raw bacon strips into small pieces and then fry them until crisp. 
• To crush the pistachios, I place the nuts in a Ziploc bag and smash with the smooth side of a meat mallet. 
• Once you’ve completed all the prep work, sauté the diced onions in a large pan over medium heat until tender. Then add the Brussels sprouts. 
• Sauté until the Brussels sprouts are soft but not wilted, about eight to 10 minutes. Add the bacon, pistachios, and Parmesan cheese, stirring to blend everything together.