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If you’re serving up our favourite little green vegetable balls for Christmas dinner (as is tradition) you NEED to try them like this! Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Chestnuts, with a bit of parmesan too, transforms this side dish into something worthy of festive dining.
I know, I know. Brussels Sprouts are the great divider, and over recent years efforts have been made to enhance them in all kinds of ways at Christmas. I think I have cracked it here!
This is simply a quick and easy Brussels Sprouts with Bacon recipe that you can make ahead on Christmas Eve to save time while you’re preparing the big feast.
And those extra few trimmings like chestnuts and parmesan really do make a huge difference to the dish. Yes they still taste like sprouts should, but better!
Disclaimer: You don’t just have to serve sprouts at Christmas – these are a lovely side dish to any winter warmer!
Why you’ll love this Sprouts and Bacon recipe
⭐️ Super easy prepare-ahead dish
⭐️ So delicious!
⭐️ Not too different from tradition
Sarah’s Notes
I believe in tradition with a bit of something EXTRA when it comes to Christmas food. Yes, we want to keep the old favourites, but there is nothing wrong at all with zhuzhing them up a bit.
And this could not be more appropriate than when it comes to Brussels sprouts. If you’re someone who insists everyone has at least one on their Christmas lunch, then you might find the haters change their minds once they’ve tried them this way.
I wanted to make this a delicious side dish, but also a VERY easy one too.
There’s also an important tip to follow to make sure the sprouts don’t get overcooked and soggy (see below).
So just like my other tried-and-tested Christmas side dishes – Easy Roast Potatoes, Honey Roasted Carrots and Parsnips, Braised Red Cabbage and Cauliflower Cheese – there is a hack to making this recipe ahead of time.
Exactly what we need on a busy Christmas Day!
How to prep sprouts ahead
On Christmas Eve:
- Cook the sprouts in boiling salted water for about 5 minutes, then drain and dunk them into very cold water. Drain again and store in the fridge overnight.
- Fry up some bacon lardons or pancetta until crispy. Allow this to cool and pop the whole pan in the fridge overnight too.
On Christmas Day:
- Heat up the pan with the pancetta to a high heat. Throw in the sprouts and chestnuts (if using) and pan-fry for 5 minutes until they are heated through and coated in the bacon deliciousness. Add salt and pepper, then sprinkle with Parmesan (if using).
Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta & Chestnut Ingredients
- Brussels sprouts – Peel and trim these
- Pancetta cubes – Or bacon lardons. I go for smoked pancetta but you can chose unsmoked if you prefer
- Chestnuts – The peeled, cooked ones in a vacuum-pack. Chop these
- Grated Parmesan
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
How to cook Sprouts with Bacon
1. Cook the sprouts in salted boiling water according to the recipe. Drain and dunk into very cold water.
2. Drain again and store in a airtight container in the fridge.
3. Fry up some pancetta until crispy and add chestnuts. When the pan is cool, put it in the fridge.
4. The following day, reheat the pan, add the sprouts in and mix until everything is coated and heated through. Add salt, pepper and parmesan to serve.
Recipe Tip
Plunging the sprouts into cold water after you’ve boiled them stops them cooking and becoming soggy! This way they stay nice and firm and crunchy for the following day.
FAQs
Yes. Just omit the bacon and parmesan (or use alternatives), but bear in mind you’ll need to add oil to cook the chestnuts as the fat from the bacon will be missing.
These would be ideal to use in Bubble and Squeak! Thrown them together with all the other leftovers from Christmas Dinner – yum.
They are so delicious and add a really lovely taste and texture to this dish. They are very traditional to eat at Christmas too!
I buy them from the supermarket in a small vacuum pack pouch, they are cooked, peeked
Any dish that needs vegetables, especially hearty traditional meals.
Try them with Roast Chicken, Roast Beef or Roast Lamb.
They’d also be great with a Steak Pie or Chicken Pie.
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Chestnuts
Ingredients
- 750 g Brussels sprouts (unpeeled weight), Peeled and trimmed
- 200 g Diced smoked pancetta, Or smoked bacon lardons
- 150 g Cooked chestnuts (the vacuum-packed type), Roughly chopped (optional)
- 50 g Parmesan cheese, Grated (optional)
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Plunge in the sprouts and cook for 5 minutes, then drain and transfer to a bowl of very cold water (don't skip this step – it stops them overcooking). Let them sit for 1 minute, then drain and set aside.
- Heat a large frying pan or saucepan over a high heat and fry the pancetta until crispy.
- Add the sprouts and chestnuts (if using) and fry for about 5 minutes until they are hot through and coated in the fat. Season with salt and pepper, and the Parmesan (if using).
To make ahead:
- The day before, cook and cool the sprouts to the end of step 1. Fry the pancetta until crispy. Put the cold sprouts and the frying pan with the cooked pancetta, covered, in the fridge. When you're ready to cook, put the frying pan on the hob over a high heat, until the oil that the pancetta released is very hot. Add the cold sprouts and the chestnuts (if using) and pan-fry for about 5 minutes until they are hot through and coated in oil. Top with Parmesan cheese (if using).
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried these on Christmas day, followed the recipe as says however sprouts were still really hard and crunchy.. Not soft at all and if doing again would most definitely cook them for longer. Was quite disappointed as was really looking forward to them!
Can you use frozen sprouts for this recipe?
OOoohh just happened upon this recipe – perfect timing as it sounds like such a perfect autumn/winter warmer recipe, would be amazing on Christmas Day too! I love the sound of the flavour combinations – might even persuade the kids to try a sprout (I won’t hold my breath!) ha xx
Sprouts with chestnuts
chicken skewers
pigs in blanket
Roast potatoes