Blue Cheese and Bacon Crusted Brussle Sprouts

It's hard to imagine, but up until early December, I can't recall having ever tried brussels sprouts.   I'm fairly certain my parents never made them for me growing up--though had they, I probably would have protested from the smell alone.  I know for certain that I never had them on my own--when you think about it, our interest in food comes from what we grew up with--and having never had them, I never ordered them anywhere--and thus, I never made them at home. 

Until December.  My new boss took the team to this amazing farm to table restaurant to celebrate Christmas, and I ordered a steak; that just happened to come with a side of blue cheese brussels sprouts.  Honestly, I ignored them most of my meal--until the very end, when my coworker was basically licking his plate from them and I was intrigued.  This girl does love some blue cheese--so whatever it was, couldn't be *that* bad. 

OH.MY.GOD. I have been missing out my entire life.  These little stinky beauties are delicious!  How is it possible I never knew this?  Why didn't someone tell me?  Seriously folks, I'm a wee-bit-pissed you never shook me and force fed me these.  Fair to say, I fell instantly in love and they're now a weekly staple at my house.

Now, having just recently been introduced to these bad boys, I haven't tried toooo many ways, but I stopped with new recipes with them at Christmas because I nailed it.  Everyone raved.  People licked their plates.  This recipe makes me ridiculously happy--and I'll fight you over that last sprout. 

Remember a few blogs back when I shared my splurge on sea salts?  In the same said shopping trip, I may have also picked up black truffle oil--and black truffles.  Sure, you can skip the truffle oil, and use plain old sea salt, but you really don't want to.  Bookmark this bad baby, run to Whole Foods and then make this.  Totally worth the effort.


Blue Cheese and Bacon Crusted Brussels Sprouts.
 
Ingredients:
1lb. Brussels sprouts-halved w/o the stem
1 tbs EVOO
1 slice thick bacon-cooked & crumbled.  Save the fat.
1/4-1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
2 tsp -- or a drizzle of black truffle oil
1/4 tsp hibiscus sea salt

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly spray a baking dish with olive oil and toss brussle sprouts with EVOO in pan, with the bacon crumbles and a drizzle of that fat .  Roast until tender, about 30 minutes.  Remove from oven, sprinkle blue cheese and return to oven on high broil.  Watch carefully--you'll only want the cheese to melt, and the sprouts to start to crust slightly.  Remove from oven, drizzle with black truffle oil and sprinkle sea salt.  Then pull out a spoon, because you'll have to beat off anyone who wants seconds.

Seriously, I heart these things.  In fact, I'm noshing on them right now--cold.