Once you have yummy, creamy polenta, you really need something awesome and kickass to put on top of it! And I have just the thing for you. It’s a simple dish, a fast dish, and a dish I’ve really enjoyed developing to share with all of you lovely people. Because how can you go wrong with brussels sprouts and pancetta? You can’t. It’s the physics of bacon. Everything tastes better with bacon. (Though we should have just a little bit!) This is total tastiness which even won over my husband, a long-standing brussels sprouts skeptic.
I’ve mentioned before, in my Blue Cheese and Brussels Sprouts Salad, that I really love brussels sprouts. But I don’t get to eat them too often, because of the aforementioned husband, who doesn’t love brussels sprouts. Really doesn’t. His all time favorite recipe is to take the brussels sprouts, put them on a baking sheet, and put them in the oven on self clean. You see what I have to put up with?
Luckily, I managed to produce a daughter with excellent taste and we enjoy brussels sprouts together. Still not as often as I would like, but at least more than once a year. 🙂 One thing I’ve been trying to do is make a dish that pushes my husband from ‘I guess this is okay. If I have to.’ all the way to ‘This is pretty good.’ I’m never expecting ‘This is delicious!’ from him on the brussels sprout front, and that’s okay, but combining sprouts with bacon and creamy polenta? I finally have a winner!
And the best thing about this? It’s so simple! Three ingredients is all you need to make the brussels sprouts and only four more for the polenta! You can eat this as its own meal or as a side for some grilled or sauteed meat. It’s all good. And I mean it. It’s good.
– Happy Eating, Annemarie
Brussels Sprouts and Pancetta Over Polenta
Ingredients
- 3 oz pancetta diced
- 1 small onion finely diced
- 1/2 lb brussels sprouts trimmed, outer leaves removed, and cut in half
- 1 recipe creamy polenta
Instructions
- Cook the pancetta in a large skillet for 5 minutes on medium low. The pancetta should be starting to brown and have rendered some of its fat.
- Add the onion and saute, stirring often, until the onion is soft and lightly browned, 5 minutes more.
- Add the brussels sprouts, trying to start them all face down in the skillet so they'll brown, and cook them for another 5 minutes, stirring as needed.
- Serve the brussels sprouts and pancetta over creamy polenta.
CakeSpy says
I can’t even stand how delicious this looks. Basically all of my favorite foods in one place.
justalittlebitofbacon says
Then the only thing to do is to make this for dinner! 🙂 I’m hungry just thinking about it again.