Salads are all up in Monday!

maple bacon brussels, pear and blue cheese salad I howsweeteats.com

I don’t mind being cliché when things taste good.

Hi hi hi . How was your weekend? Did you happen to eat a whole plate of burrata and buy four cans of truffle salt at Trader Joe’s like I did? Or maybe you watched Love Actually three times because I certainly didn’t do that. I also didn’t forget that I had on a face mask and tried driving to the grocery store.

Interesting.

maple bacon brussels, pear and blue cheese salad I howsweeteats.com

Something I definitely did was continue my Brussels sprouts binge. If you told me five years ago that I’d be buying these little green nuggets in bulk, I’d have laughed in your face. On Tuesday I asked Eddie if he could stop at the store on his way home and buy five containers of them.

Oh yes I did.

I can’t even fully describe my love for Brussels sprouts right now. It’s like a moth to a flame. Last week, for three days in a row, I ate almost an entire POUND at dinnertime. I’d be all sneaky and prep them for our side dish but I would start early… accidentally on purpose. Which meant that by the time my husband got home, I had devoured spoonful after spoonful of roasted sprouts and then before I knew it, they’d be gone.

I don’t know what that means. I LOVE THEM SO MUCH.

maple bacon brussels, pear and blue cheese salad I howsweeteats.com

And the darn thing is that you wouldn’t even BELIEVE how I have managed to trash them up. I’ve made three Brussels recipes that I can hardly wait to share with you. They’re pretty embarrassing. I’m wondering… is there anything I won’t put Brussels sprouts in? At this point, probably not.

Except for cookies. Not cookies. Promise.

maple bacon brussels, pear and blue cheese salad I howsweeteats.com

My favorite thing about this salad is that it works well when served warm or cold – just depends on your preference. It’s low maintenance. Which is so unlike me. Pears are so perfect and ripe right about now that I left them completely plain, sort of just accompanying the salad. A hint of salt and pepper goes a looooong way when sprinkled on top.

The Brussels are cooked in bacon grease (gah, you should see the mason jar full in my fridge – it’s a collection I’m proud of) then tossed with pure maple syrup and crumbled blue cheese. It’s almost embarrassingly easy to make but the flavors POP.

Plus it’s sorta pretty. And pretty food always wins.

maple bacon brussels, pear and blue cheese salad I howsweeteats.com

Maple Bacon Brussels, Pear and Blue Cheese Salad

5 from 1 vote
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Ingredients

  • 4 sliced thick-cut bacon chopped
  • 1 pound brussel stems, stems removed and sliced
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large ripe pear, thinly sliced
  • 4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

Instructions 

  • Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and add the bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crispy, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and place it on a paper towel to remove any extra grease.
  • Add the brussels to the bacon grease still in the skillet and stir to coat. Cook until the sprouts begin to soften, about 5 minutes, then stir in the maple syrup. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, stirring, then season with the salt and the pepper. Add the bacon back into the skillet and add half of the cheese, stirring to combine.
  • Add the brussels to a plate or bowl and add the pear slices on top. Add a sprinkle of pepper if desired and crumble the remaining. blue cheese over top.
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maple bacon brussels, pear and blue cheese salad I howsweeteats.com

It’s also reeeeeally good with chicken on top. Swear.