Tag Archives: vegetables

Cheesy Bacon Brussels Sprouts

Here’s great way to introduce people to Brussels sprouts:  roast and smother them in bacon and melted cheese —
the sprouts, not the people, that is.

This recipe came from 12Tomatoes.com — one of my favorite recipe sites.  Check it out for lots of yummy dishes.  Here’s how I made it:

Ingredients
1½ pounds Brussels sprouts, halved
8 oz bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
½ cup fontina cheese, grated
¾ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 egg
1 sprig fresh rosemary, minced (I’ll use a little less next time)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

Makes 6 servings (or 3 if you’re like me!)

Directions
1. Toss Brussels sprouts in olive oil, season with salt and pepper and place in a large baking dish.  Roast at 400˚ for 15 to 20 minutes.

2. Whisk together the egg, cream, rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder and red pepper flakes.  Stir in cheese.

3. Add a little more than half of the bacon to the sprouts and cover with the creamy cheese mixture.  Stir to combine.

4. Top with remaining bacon and maybe a bit more cheese.

5. Bake at 350˚ for 20 to 25 minutes until cheese is bubbly.

Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

 

The Creamiest Creamed Spinach

Between the cream and the bacon, you may forget you’re eating your spinach.  This recipe is perfect for your guests who are following a Ketogenic or Paleo diet.

Ingredients

2 slices bacon
3 mushrooms, sliced
½ medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
salt & pepper, to taste
9 oz bag fresh baby spinach
¼ cup cream
2 oz cream cheese, cubed

Directions

1. Fry bacon until almost crisp; drain and cut into bite-size pieces.

2. Over medium heat, sauté mushrooms, onions and garlic in the bacon drippings until onions are soft.  Add bacon.

3. Season with salt and pepper and add entire bag of spinach.

4. Stir to combine, then reduce the heat to low and cover pan with a lid so spinach can steam 3 to 4 minutes.

5. Add cream and cream cheese, and stir until cream cheese is melted and spinach is evenly coated.

This recipe makes about 4 servings.  Multiply as needed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rainbow Roasted Vegetable Skewers

Skewers on Baking Sheet

What a colorful way to serve roasted veggies.  Depending on what’s in season, you can use cherry tomatoes… red, orange, yellow and green bell peppers… yellow and green zucchini… yellow and orange squash… red onions… purple potatoes… any veggie you like really.

When using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water a few hours or overnight so they don’t burn in the oven or on the grill.Skewers Soaking

Cut vegetables into various sizes depending on how quickly they will cook (potatoes and butternut squash take longer to cook than bell peppers and zucchini).  Put the cut veggies into a plastic food storage bag, pour in olive oil and salt and pepper, seal and shake until evenly coated.  Then put the sealed veggies in the fridge for at least two hours (overnight is fine).
Veggies and Oil

Arrange the veggies onto the skewers in colorful patterns.  Cook on a barbeque grill or bake in a 450 degree oven until tender and nicely browned.  They need careful monitoring because the time can vary so much depending on the combination of vegetables used.  As long as they don’t burn, I think roasted veggies taste better the longer they are cooked, but that’s my preference.  You may like yours crunchier.
Skewers on Platter
They taste best when served hot, but even cold roasted veggies are yummy.