The Ultimate Kid-Friendly Brussels Sprouts Mash with Crispy Bacon & Sweet Apple
My children, like many kids around the globe, used to wrinkle their noses at the mere mention of Brussels sprouts. “Gross!” they’d exclaim, a sentiment I’m sure countless parents can relate to. The thought of those tiny green cabbages on their plate would often lead to dramatic protests and uneaten meals. Yet, as a parent, I’m deeply passionate about ensuring they grow up with a broad palate, willing to embrace a variety of healthy, nutritious foods. My mission? To get them to eat (almost) everything, and crucially, with happy faces!
This culinary quest often leads me to creatively adapt recipes, subtly incorporating vegetables that might otherwise be met with staunch resistance. Brussels sprouts, with their distinct, often polarizing flavor, were a prime candidate for this flavorful transformation. My goal was clear: introduce them gradually, so the word “sprouts” wouldn’t trigger an immediate stress response or a dramatic “I don’t like it!” at the dinner table. And guess what? It worked! My kids now happily devour “Brussels sprouts mash” – though they’ll still insist, with a mischievous twinkle in their eyes, “But we don’t eat Brussels sprouts, Mom!” This clever disguise has been a game-changer in our household, and I’m absolutely thrilled to share this secret weapon with you: my incredibly delicious Brussels sprouts mash with bacon and apple. It’s a hearty, flavorful dish that even the pickiest eaters will surprisingly ask for again and again!
Why This Brussels Sprouts Mash is a Family Favorite
This recipe isn’t just about cleverly disguising a disliked vegetable; it’s about creating a symphony of flavors and textures that make Brussels sprouts utterly irresistible. The natural, slightly bitter notes of the sprouts are beautifully balanced by the sweetness of caramelized apples, while the smoky, salty crunch of crispy bacon adds an addictive element that appeals to almost everyone, especially children. Mashed together with creamy, fluffy potatoes and enriched with a touch of butter and cream, the sprouts become a subtle background flavor, rather than the dominant star. This gentle integration makes them far more palatable for hesitant eaters, allowing them to enjoy the dish without focusing on the “green bits.” The addition of toasted walnuts provides a delightful nutty texture and an extra layer of sophisticated flavor, elevating this simple mash into a truly comforting and complete meal. It’s the perfect harmony of savory, sweet, and smoky, designed to turn even the most adamant sprout-haters into enthusiastic sprout-lovers.
Packed with Nutrition: More Than Just Delicious
While the undeniable deliciousness of this mash takes center stage, it’s worth highlighting the fantastic nutritional benefits packed into every spoonful. Brussels sprouts are tiny powerhouses of nutrition, loaded with essential vitamins like Vitamin C and Vitamin K, as well as a significant amount of dietary fiber. These nutrients are crucial for a healthy immune system, strong bones, and efficient digestion. Potatoes provide complex carbohydrates, offering sustained energy, and apples contribute even more fiber, natural sweetness, and a host of beneficial antioxidants. Bacon, when enjoyed in moderation, adds a burst of protein and flavor, while walnuts are a celebrated source of omega-3 fatty acids, known for their brain-boosting properties and heart health benefits. This meal truly offers a wholesome and balanced profile, cleverly disguised as a delectable and comforting family favorite.
Mastering the Art of Kid-Friendly Vegetables
Introducing new or previously disliked vegetables to children can often feel like an uphill battle. However, this Brussels sprouts mash recipe employs several effective and scientifically-backed strategies to win over young palates:
- The Power of Mash: Mashing vegetables fundamentally changes their texture. Many children object to the firmness or distinct shape of whole sprouts. By mashing them into a smoother, more uniform consistency, you eliminate these textural barriers, making the vegetable much more approachable and less intimidating.
- Sweet and Savory Harmony: The strategic combination of sweet caramelized apples and savory, crispy bacon works wonders. These strong, appealing flavors distract from any lingering “sprouty” taste, making the dish inherently more attractive and enjoyable for sensitive taste buds.
- Leveraging Familiar Favorites: Serving sprouts alongside universally beloved ingredients like creamy mashed potatoes and crunchy bacon helps create a sense of familiarity and comfort. This reduces apprehension and encourages kids to try a bite, as the unfamiliar is presented within a context of things they already love.
- Gradual Introduction and Portion Control: Initially, you can adjust the ratio of Brussels sprouts to potatoes, starting with a smaller amount of sprouts. As your children become more accustomed to the flavor profile, you can gradually increase the proportion of Brussels sprouts, subtly expanding their vegetable intake over time without causing alarm.
- Positive Reinforcement and No Pressure: Instead of focusing on forcing them to eat the “green stuff,” highlight the delicious taste of the whole dish, the fun crunch of the bacon, or the sweet surprise of the apple. Creating a positive and relaxed dining environment, free from pressure, can foster a healthier, more adventurous relationship with food.
A Deeper Look at the Star Ingredients
Each component of this mash plays a vital role in its overall success and flavor profile:
- Floury Potatoes: The unsung hero and foundational base of any exceptional mash. Varieties like Russets or Maris Pipers are ideal as they break down easily, creating a wonderfully fluffy, creamy, and absorbent texture. This base is perfect for soaking up the rich, creamy goodness and seamlessly melding with the Brussels sprouts.
- Brussels Sprouts: The vegetable we’re championing and transforming! When cooked just right and paired intelligently with complementary ingredients, their signature slightly bitter notes transform into something uniquely delicious and mellow. The key here is not to overcook them, ensuring they retain some of their vibrant color and a tender-crisp texture before mashing.
- Apples: More than just a touch of sweetness! Apples, whether a slightly tart variety like Granny Smith or a sweeter one like Fuji or Honeycrisp, bring a refreshing tang and a delightful textural contrast to the rich mash. Caramelizing them in the rendered bacon fat adds an extra layer of irresistible, deep, and savory-sweet flavor that elevates the entire dish.
- Dark Brown Sugar: Our secret weapon for those perfectly caramelized apples. It provides a deeper, richer, and more complex sweetness compared to white sugar, helping to create a beautiful, glossy glaze on the apple slices and enhancing their natural fruity flavors.
- Walnuts: These humble nuts are crucial for adding a much-needed crunch and a wonderful earthy, nutty flavor that complements the earthiness of the sprouts and the smokiness of the bacon. Briefly toasting them in a dry pan unlocks their full aromatic potential, making them even more flavorful.
- Bacon: The ultimate flavor enhancer and kid-magnet! Crispy, salty bacon bits are a textural delight that kids adore. More importantly, they infuse the entire dish with a smoky richness and savory depth that masterfully masks any potential “grossness” associated with the Brussels sprouts, making them virtually undetectable to finicky eaters.
- Butter and Cream: These indulgent ingredients are absolutely crucial for achieving that luxurious, smooth, and utterly creamy mash texture. They bind all the ingredients together, adding a rich mouthfeel and ensuring every bite is melt-in-your-mouth delicious and comforting.
The Simple Steps to Culinary Success
This recipe is surprisingly straightforward, designed to be accessible for home cooks of all skill levels. You’ll begin by boiling the potatoes and Brussels sprouts together in a single pot, allowing their flavors to gently meld while they soften to perfection. Meanwhile, in a separate frying pan, the bacon is rendered to crispy perfection, leaving behind a flavorful fat. This rendered fat then becomes the perfect medium for caramelizing the sweet and tangy apple slices, adding yet another layer of depth to the dish. This multi-step process ensures that each component is prepared to its absolute best, contributing maximum flavor and texture to the final mash. After mashing the tender vegetables with the rich butter and cream, you simply fold in the delightfully crispy bacon and the aromatic toasted walnuts, creating a vibrant, appealing dish ready to be garnished with those beautiful caramelized apple rings. It’s a journey from simple ingredients to a truly extraordinary family meal.
- Belgian endive casserole (that even my kids love)
- Arugula stew with grilled salmon
- Quiche with cauliflower, broccoli and cervelate
- Andijviestamppot (Dutch Endive Stew)
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📖 Recipe
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Andréa
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Ingredients
- 1 kilo potatoes , floury
- 500 grams Brussels sprouts
- salt and pepper
- 2 apples
- 3 teaspoons dark brown sugar
- 50 grams walnuts
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 100 ml cream
- 250 grams bacon bits
All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can select which type of amount you would like to see.
Instructions
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Fill a large pan with 2 inches (3 cm) of water and add to the water a teaspoon of salt.
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Peel the potatoes, wash them and cut them into quarters, and place them in the pan.
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Clean the sprouts by cutting off the bottom and remove the outer skins. Cut any large sprouts in half.
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Wash the sprouts and put them on top of the potatoes in the pan.
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Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes (until the potatoes are tender and you can prick them easily with a fork).
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Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a frying pan until it’s crips.
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Remove the bacon from the pan and drain it on a paper kitchen towel.
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Peel the apples and use a corer to remove the core.
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Cut the apple horizontal into 8 slices.
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Sprinkle the apple slices with brown sugar and bake in the remaining bacon fat slightly on both sides (about 1 minute each side).
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Remove from the pan and allow to rest.
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Chop the walnuts.
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In a dry frying pan bake the walnuts lightly until they smell nutty. When you smell that turn of the heat, otherwise the nuts will burn.
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Mash the sprouts with potatoes.
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Heat the cream with the butter and mix with the mash.
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Mix the walnuts and bacon through.
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Ladle the stew on the plate and serve with the apple rings.
Serving Suggestions & Delightful Variations
This Brussels sprouts mash with bacon and apple is so hearty and flavorful, it can easily stand alone as a complete meal for a cozy weeknight dinner. However, its versatility also makes it a fantastic side dish that beautifully complements a variety of main courses. Imagine it alongside a succulent roasted chicken, tender pork chops, or even as an elevated addition to your holiday feast, like Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey. For those who love to experiment and customize, here are a few delightful variations to make this dish uniquely yours:
- Cheesy Goodness: For an extra layer of savory richness, try mixing in a generous sprinkle of grated Parmesan, sharp cheddar, or even a creamy gouda cheese into the mash just before serving. The cheese melts beautifully, adding a comforting depth of flavor.
- A Burst of Fresh Herbs: A scattering of fresh chives, parsley, or even a touch of thyme or rosemary stirred into the mash or sprinkled on top before serving can brighten the flavors and add an aromatic touch.
- Double the Veggie Power: Feel free to incorporate other root vegetables into your mash for additional nutrients and a more complex flavor profile. Carrots, parsnips, or even a bit of celeriac can be boiled along with the potatoes and sprouts.
- Smoky Meat Alternatives: If you’re out of bacon or looking for a different smoky flavor, diced pancetta, smoked sausage, or even crispy fried ham pieces can be a delicious and equally satisfying alternative.
- Sweet Potato Twist: For a slightly sweeter and more vibrant mash, replace half of the regular floury potatoes with sweet potatoes. This adds a lovely natural sweetness and a beautiful orange hue, along with extra vitamins.
- Spiced Up Apples: Enhance the caramelized apples by adding a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg along with the brown sugar. This can create an even more autumnal and comforting flavor.
No matter how you choose to serve or adapt it, this Brussels sprouts mash with bacon and apple is sure to become a beloved recipe in your household, transforming even the most skeptical eaters into fans of this incredible dish!
Nutrition
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