Roasted and with bacon and cranberries, Brussels sprouts are easy to love

Growing up, I remember Brussels sprouts as a somewhat off-colored, grayish-green frozen vegetable that came in bags. This odd veggie would get steamed by my mother, often in the microwave, but occasionally in a pot, until extremely soft. Then, the Brussels sprouts would get a healthy dose of butter, a word that was synonymous back in those days with Country Crock margarine. The entire house would take on that lovely smell of cabbage, because although different, Brussels sprouts are part of the cabbage family and smell very similar when steamed. I didn't know they came any other way.

I didn't have my first fresh Brussels sprout until well into adulthood. I had no idea that they could be firm and bright green and delightful. I had no clue that they grow on big stalks and can be served lightly sautéed and crisp or even raw, shredded as a salad. I didn't realize it was possible to roast them until browned and sweet and caramelized or add them to breakfast hash. It's a wonder that I ever grew to be a person who loves them and cooks with them as much as I do.

This is a quick and easy Brussels sprout side dish that takes us all the way through fall and well into winter. Smoky bacon, sautéed onions and cranberries always come together beautifully on the plate with the sprouts, making them shine.

Sauteed Brussels sprouts with bacon and cranberries

Serves 2-4

2 slices bacon

1/4 cup onion, chopped

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced in half

Salt to taste

In a saute pan over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove from the pan to drain, reserving the bacon fat.

Return the pan to the heat and add the onions and cranberries, sauteing in the bacon fat until the onions are tender. Add the Brussels sprouts to the pan and cook until tender-crisp and beginning to brown, about 3-4 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Crumble the bacon over top and serve promptly.

Maya Wilson lives in Kenai and blogs about food at alaskafromscratch.com. Have a food question or recipe request? Email maya@alaskafromscratch.com and your inquiry may appear in a future column.