Recreating Restaurant Recipes at Home

As much as I love cooking, I also love going out to eat.

There’s something about getting dressed up after spending a long day in work attire, enjoying the atmosphere, and not cleaning a single dish. The only things I have to worry about are deciding what restaurant to visit and what to order. Half the fun of going out to eat is enjoying dishes you can get only at that establishment.

I don't remember tasting brussels sprouts until I was in my 30s, but now, I can't get enough, especially when they’re roasted with bacon and cheese. One of my favorite brussels sprouts dishes is from a small restaurant near Chicago. There’s just something unique about their dish compared with other establishments’.

I asked the restaurant how its brussels sprouts were prepared, but I can’t quite recreate the texture and taste at home. After listening to the ingredient list, I realized there may be a reason why the restaurant’s brussels sprouts just taste better.

Heavy whipping cream and butter can make almost anything tasty, but you’ll never find me cooking with them at home. My calorie-counting guilt would get the best of me!

Sometimes, things just taste better at a restaurant. Nevertheless, you’ll enjoy this recipe at home, and you can even try convincing yourself that it’s healthy.

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Cheese

Ingredients

· 6 slices of thick-cut bacon

· 1½ lbs brussels sprouts, halved

· 3 tablespoons butter

· 1 tablespoon dried onion flakes

· ½ cup heavy whipping cream

· ½ cup grated parmesan cheese

· ¼ cup gorgonzola cheese crumbles

· Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Cook bacon over medium heat in a large cast-iron skillet until crispy. Remove bacon from the pan and transfer it to a plate lined with paper towels. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of drippings in the pan.

Add butter to the pan and stir until melted. Add brussels sprouts and onion flakes. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until brussels sprouts are crisp-tender and golden brown.

Crumble bacon, add to brussels spouts, and stir. Remove from heat.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, add heavy cream, both cheese types, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low, stirring occasionally until thick, which will take about 5 minutes.

Pour over brussels sprouts and stir. Serve immediately.