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    Home » Recipes » Christmas

    Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts and Bacon {20 minutes}

    Published: Aug 24, 2022 · Modified: Dec 22, 2022 by Nora · This post may contain affiliate links · 13 Comments

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    Brussels sprouts with bacon and chestnuts ready to be served in 20 minutes! A truly festive combination!
    Brussels sprouts with bacon and chestnuts ready to be served in 20 minutes! A truly festive combination!
    Brussels sprouts with bacon and chestnuts ready to be served in 20 minutes! A truly festive combination!

    Brussels sprouts with bacon and chestnuts, a truly festive combination! This super quick to prepare side dish is well suited for Thanksgiving or Christmas. 

    In just 20 minutes, the Brussels sprouts with bacon and chestnuts are prepared and ready to be served. 

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    I use frozen sprouts for this recipe for simplicity, but you can also use fresh ones. 

    We made this delicacy for the first time during the Christmas holidays with a grilled bacon wrapped venison tenderloin and duchess potatoes, and the whole family loved it. A chestnut and porcini mushroom soup started our feast, and Buchteln (Austrian yeast dumplings) with homemade vanilla sauce made the grand finale!

    Jump to:
    • 🥘 Ingredients
    • 🔪 Instructions
    • 📖 Variations
    • 🍽 Equipment
    • 🌡️ Storage
    • 💭 Top tip
    • 🥄 More side dishes to try
    • 🙋🏻 FAQ
    • 🤎 You might also like
    • 📖 Recipe
    • ⛑️ Food Safety
    • 💬 Comments

    🥘 Ingredients

    • Brussels sprouts - frozen or fresh
    • Bacon - thickly cut
    • Unsalted Butter
    • Chestnuts - precooked and peeled
    • Kosher salt & black pepper
    • Ice cubes

    See the recipe card for quantities.

    🔪 Instructions

    Fill a medium-sized pot with water and add a pinch of salt. Bring the water to a boil and blanch the sprouts in the salted water for about 10 minutes. 

    Prepare a large bowl and fill it with ice-cold water and ice cubes. After blanching, strain the Brussels sprouts, shock them in the prepared ice water and drain them afterward.

    Fill a large bowl with cold water and ice cubes.
    Shock the Brussel sprouts after blanching.

    Next, cut the bacon into strips and fry them with butter in a pan. Cut the chestnuts into quarters and add them to the pan as well. 

    While frying, stir well so that the flavors of bacon and chestnuts can unite well.

    Last, but not least, add the Brussels sprouts. Mix them into the bacon-chestnut mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste. 

    And as you can see, in a few simple steps, this delicious side dish is ready and waiting to be served!

    Yum!

    Do you like my tableware? Snag it from Villeroy & Boch, too!

    📖 Variations

    The bacon can be replaced with pancetta, which gives the dish a very unique taste. Definitely worth trying as well, to decide afterward what kind of bacon is closer to your personal taste.

    🍽 Equipment

    • Pot - for cooking the sprouts
    • Pan - for frying the chestnuts and bacon
    • Large bowl - for shocking the cabbage sprouts
    • Strainer

    🌡️ Storage

    Brussels sprouts with bacon and chestnuts should be eaten immediately after preparation, and are not suitable to be kept in the refrigerator or freezer after preparation.

    💭 Top tip

    For getting crispy sprouts, it is essential not to boil the sprouts longer than the specified 10 minutes and shock them immediately afterward in ice water. Too long cooking or too late / no shocking leads to mushy sprouts.

    🥄 More side dishes to try

    • Duchess potatoes
    • Austrian Erdäpfel Schmarrn - grated pan fried potatoes
    • Duchess potatoes on the grill
    • Stuffing outside the bird (created by Pass the Sushi)
    • Caramelized onions and mushrooms (created by Two Cloves Kitchen)

    🙋🏻 FAQ

    Why are my Brussel Sprouts Mushy?

    If your sprouts are mushy then you probably overcooked them. When overcooked, they release excess sulphur which stinks! This gives even the best Brussels Sprouts recipes a bad reputation.
    Source: the-girl-who-ate-everything.com

    Are chestnuts and Brussels sprouts well-tolerated in fructose malabsorption?

    Both are not ideal for fructose malabsorption, but as long as you do not eat them in large quantities and only on special occasions, they are tolerable. I do not recommend having chestnuts or Brussels sprouts on a weekly menu. 

    What is meant by blanching?

    Blanching is a cooking process in which food, usually a vegetable or fruit, is scalded in boiling water, removed after a brief, timed interval, and finally plunged into iced water or placed under cold running water (known as shocking or refreshing) to halt the cooking process. Blanching foods helps reduce quality loss over time.
    Source: Wikipedia

    What pairs well with Brussels sprouts with bacon and chestnuts?

    Any kind of potatoes - mashed potatoes, fried potatoes, pan-fried potatoes, duchess potatoes, gratin,...
    Meat - venison, pork, or cow
    You can eat this version of Brussels sprouts without meat garnish because bacon is included already.
    You can eat the cabbage sprouts with bacon and chestnuts just like they are without meat and potato garnish. 

    🤎 You might also like

    • ready to eat duchess potatoes
      How to make Duchess Potatoes in the Oven
    • grated pan fried potatoes - austrian style
      Austrian Erdäpfelschmarrn - grated pan fried potatoes
    • Piped mashed potatoes on grill plate (plancha)
      Duchess Potatoes - Piped Mashed Potatoes - On the Grill
    • How to cook Tafelspitz (Austrian Prime Boiled Beef)

    If you make this recipe, let me know how you liked it by ★★★★★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. This would be awesome! You can also sign up for our Newsletter or follow me on Pinterest or Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @combinegoodflavors and hashtag #combinegoodflavors, so I don't miss it.

    📖 Recipe

    Brussels sprouts with fried bacon and chestnuts in a curved white bowl on a marble surface.

    Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts and Bacon {20 minutes}

    Nora
    Brussels sprouts with bacon and chestnuts, a truly festive combination! This delicious side dish is prepared and ready to be served in just 20 minutes!
    5 from 56 votes
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 20 minutes mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine European
    Servings 4 Servings
    Calories 205 kcal

    Equipment

    • Pot for cooking the sprouts
    • Pan for frying the chestnuts and bacon
    • Large mixing bowl for shocking the cabbage sprouts
    • Strainer

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 400 g Brussels sprouts frozen or fresh
    • 100 g Bacon thickly cut
    • 1 teaspoon Unsalted Butter
    • 100 g Chestnuts precooked and peeled
    • Kosher salt & black pepper
    • Ice cubes

    Instructions
     

    • Boil and blanch the sprouts in the salted water for about 10 minutes. 
    • Strain the Brussels sprouts and shock them in ice water.
    • Drain them afterward.
    • Cut the bacon into strips and fry them with butter in a pan.
    • Cut the chestnuts into quarters and add them to the pan as well. 
    • Add the Brussels sprouts
    • Mix them into the bacon-chestnut mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste. 
    Never miss a recipe!Sign up and let me spoil you weekly with a delicious homemade recipe!
    Keyword bacon, brussels sprouts, brussels sprouts with bacon, brussels sprouts with chestnuts, chestnuts, christmas, christmas side dish, festive side dish, thanksgiving
    Like this recipe?Mention @combinegoodflavors or tag #combinegoodflavors!
    Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
    Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 205kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 191mg | Potassium: 560mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 801IU | Vitamin C: 95mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 2mg
    Enjoy creating delicious food all year round! Truffles, eggnog, chocolates, Christmas cookies, cakes, boozy drinks, and divine Austrian delicacies!

    ⛑️ Food Safety

    • Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
    • Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
    • Wash hands after touching raw meat
    • Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
    • Never leave cooking food unattended
    • Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
    • Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

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    1. megane

      August 25, 2022 at 3:07 pm

      5 stars
      How good are these! So tasty and so easy. Thanks for a great recipe.

      Reply
    2. Deb

      August 25, 2022 at 10:05 pm

      5 stars
      Brussels are my favorite vegetable and this recipe proved that 100%.

      Reply
    3. Amy

      August 26, 2022 at 7:07 am

      5 stars
      Love this side at Thanksgiving. It's always a hit!

      Reply
    4. Sara

      August 30, 2022 at 6:01 am

      Brussel sprouts and bacon is such a delicious flavor combination!

      Reply
    5. Freya

      August 30, 2022 at 11:22 pm

      5 stars
      Such a delicious side dish and I love that you used frozen sprouts!

      Reply
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    Brussels sprouts with bacon and chestnuts ready to be served in 20 minutes! A truly festive combination!
    Brussels sprouts with bacon and chestnuts ready to be served in 20 minutes! A truly festive combination!
    Brussels sprouts with bacon and chestnuts ready to be served in 20 minutes! A truly festive combination!

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    combinegoodflavors author nora

    Hi, it's me, Nora! I love good food, especially when it's homemade. I am a home chef with a passion for baking and mixing drinks.

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    Brussels sprouts with bacon and chestnuts ready to be served in 20 minutes! A truly festive combination!
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