My roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon recipe is one of my fave sides with my Christmas roast dinner. It’s dairy free and even low FODMAP in the right portion size too.

Are you a brussels sprouts fan? Well, I’m definitely not to be honest! But my roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon recipe is the exception to that rule. Suddenly, it’s my favourite festive side!

For the last gazillion years, we’ve had boiled sprouts with our Christmas roast ever since I can remember.

And I can’t say that they were my favourite part of all those Christmas dinners… far from it! They were sooo bitter and when I was a kid even a boat-load of gravy couldn’t make me eat more than my ‘one sprout of the year’.

But my roasted brussels sprouts with bacon recipe is where the game changes for me. Suddenly… I’ll quite happily eat them!

(well, as many of them as my stomach will currently tolerate at least)

When you roast them with lots of crispy bacon, a little garlic-infused olive oil and finish with a little salt – suddenly they’re one of my fave sides on a Christmas roast dinner plate.

So, how is that possible?!

Well, instead of being one soft, semi-mushy texture, they transform into an entirely different thing! A little crisp on the outside, soft in the middle with lovely crispy bits of bacon in every bite.

That’s more like it! And somehow… they’re also not nearly as bitter either as they used to be either. We’ll get to that in a bit! But do you wanna know the best part?

Roasting the sprouts with bacon makes the bacon taste like sprouts and it’s just absolutely amazing. So even if you have a few Brussels sprouts haters coming over, definitely don’t hesitate in making this regardless. I didn’t think I’d love this as much as I do!

But apparently, it’s not just me imagining it… Brussels sprouts aren’t as bitter as they used to be! Did anyone else think that same thought over the last decade?

So I was watching a TV programme (don’t ask me what programme or what channel because my memory is awful) and I basically learned that the sprouts we eat today aren’t the same as the ones we used to eat 20-30 years ago.

So in the 20 years since I first ate a sprout, they’ve probably totally transformed in terms taste. I looked it up and because of selective plant breeding, we’re now left with a sprout that contains less glucosinolates. That’s the chemical that makes them taste really bitter.

So no, you’re not going mad… they do taste different/better! So if you haven’t tried them since you were a kid, now might be a good time to try them again.

And whilst you’re here, clearly doing your bit to make your Christmas roast the best ever, here’s a few festive recipes you might also like:

My best gluten free/low FODMAP Christmas roast dinner recipes:

And this recipe you’re reading right now of course! I’ve still got a couple of Christmas posts to go up, so keep checking back here on the blog for the links.

Ok, so here’s all the ingredients you need for my roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon recipe.

(yep, you only need 3 ingredients and some salt!)

Ingredients for my roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon recipe

1kg Brussels sprouts
6 rashers of streaky smoked bacon, chopped into small chunks
3 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil
Salt (optional)

So there’s your shopping list – I’d imagine you had most of it in your Christmas food shop trolley already!

Oh and when it comes to low FODMAP, a 32g serving of Brussels sprouts is safe to eat on the elimination phase of the diet. It can go a long way when it’s just a small part of a very busy roast dinner plate too!

Remember, the elimination phase isn’t forever though and if you’ve successfully reintroduced sprouts during the reintroduction phase, you might be able to tolerate more. Speak with your dietician about reintroduction with FODMAP – it’s important!

Ok, so here’s my roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon recipe…