The Flavorful Fat You Should Use To Roast Brussels Sprouts Every Time

Getting a full serving of vegetables might seem like quite the undertaking, but there are plenty of ways to dress up your greens for a truly fulfilling meal. Take Brussels sprouts, for example. These tiny spheres of cruciferous goodness can be roasted into a most delicious dish with a handful of thoughtful tips. When roasting Brussels sprouts, the most important element to consider is the right fat to add flavor and texture. Spoiler alert? Don't skimp on the bacon because this fat is exactly what you need for picture-perfect Brussels sprouts.

Whether you're using actual strips of bacon in your Brussels sprouts for a bacon-wrapped balsamic Brussels sprouts recipe or simply repurposing leftover bacon fat from a recent breakfast, the combination of flavor and texture that comes from cooking vegetables with bacon provides a richness that can't be replicated by regular butter or oil. Storing and reusing leftover bacon fat is a time-honored tradition and is easily and carefully done to avoid food waste and infuse a bold and smoky flavor into your food.

The process of collecting and storing bacon grease for future use is fairly straightforward, and should nonetheless be done with care to ensure safe consumption. After frying up a pan of bacon for breakfast, make sure to let the grease cool down, strain the bits and pieces out, and then transfer it to a heat-proof storage container. Using either a glass or metal container is recommended to avoid odors and flavors permeating through plastic. This can be kept in the refrigerator for up to six months or up to a year in the freezer.

When it comes to using the bacon grease in your roasted Brussels sprouts, the process couldn't be simpler. Tossing your Brussels sprouts in a couple of spoonfuls of melted bacon grease before roasting is a great start and works great for a Brussels sprouts with bacon recipe. For roasting in the oven, you can add fresh herbs such as sage or thyme. If you'd like a sweeter addition, a drizzle of pure maple syrup such as Shady Maple Farms Maple Syrup will do the trick for a maple bacon Brussels sprouts recipe. Top with freshly cracked black pepper and be prepared to dig into an unforgettable dish packed with pork protein and vegetable delights.