When I make a successful, original recipe, it’s usually a love child, born of the union of leftover Mr. This and attractive Miss That. This particular recipe was inspired by leftover Brussels sprouts from Thanksgiving and a can of butter beans that was cast aside after an abandoned summer baked bean casserole intention that was quickly trumped by easier and quicker corn on the cob. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that this may be one of the best Brussels sprouts recipes you will ever try. Yep, I’m going there. My best friend and guest last night just called me to say that she is still thinking about the Brussels sprouts. Who says that?
Since I was using bacon in the recipe, I decided to go with ham stock instead of chicken stock for this recipe. My friends at Redi-Base make a great ham stock: one teaspoon in two cups of water and you’re ready to roll. (I’m sure that chicken stock, especially homemade, would work very well with this recipe.)
Ingredients
4 to 6 strips of bacon (based on how much you love bacon), diced into 1/4 inch pieces
2 pounds of Brussels sprouts, halved
1 (15 oz.) can of Lima grands (a.k.a. butter beans, a.k.a. big fat Lima beans)
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
2 cups ham stock (See Redi-Base note, above: you can also use chicken stock.)
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
Brown bacon in heavy sauce pot. Remove bacon and excess fat, leaving at least 2 tablespoons for sauteing the shallot and garlic.
Saute shallot and garlic on medium heat for about 3 minutes, being careful not to brown garlic.
Then add the Brussels sprouts and brown a bit. (5 minutes, stirring frequently).
Add 2 cups of ham or chicken stock and simmer until liquid is reduced to a syrup and sprouts are fork tender.
Add can of beans and stir to warm.
Add bacon back into pot and taste for salt and pepper.
Sprinkle with tablespoon of grated Parmesan.
Salt and pepper, to taste.
Owner: Deborah Smith
Launched in 2007, JerseyBites.com began as a home for Deborah’s growing collection of recipes, but soon grew into a hub for food news in the Garden State. In addition to her duties on JerseyBites, Deborah is the owner of Foxtrot Media, a full service digital marketing company that specializes in content development, social media marketing and search engine optimization. She is also a highly sought after speaker on the topic of restaurant marketing, social media and blogging. You can learn more about her services and marketing through social media on her blog www.DeborahLSmith.com.
