Jeff’s Special “Bacon and Crispy Brussels Sprout Mac and Cheese”

When Jeff came to me with this idea, he had literally no intention of creating a recipe for the blog and was purely concerned about dinner that night. We had a ton of Brussels sprouts to use, three slices of bacon in a forgotten pack, pasta, and a block of Monterey jack cheese, and you would’ve thought he had just found the answer to life’s biggest question when he pronounced that this was what he wanted to make for dinner. Fortunately, it turned out amazing, so I had to share.

You start by quartering the sprouts, dousing them in oil, salt, and pepper and roasting at 425. While those crisp up, cook your pasta according to package instructions and brown up some chopped bacon until crispy. The sauce comes together with some of the rendered bacon fat, a few spoonfuls of flour, milk, and the cheese, plus some seasonings as well.

This dish is simple, comforting, and can be catered towards many different diets depending on the variety of pasta and dairy products you choose to use. Of course, nothing will ever replace the pure indulgence that is bacon fat, real pasta, real cheese, and whole milk, but I’m confident this will be just as amazing if you use a gluten free pasta variety, dairy-free milk, or vegan cheese. I can’t say anything about leaving out the bacon though, that’s a personal matter.

I hope you guys give Jeff’s Spesh a try and post all the photos so he can see how many people love his culinary endeavors- I know I do! If you do make this, don’t forget to tag me @theardentcook on Instagram!

Ingredients

1lb short pasta, such as macaroni, casarecce, or penne

3 slices thick-cut bacon (or more if you have it, Jeff says), diced

1/2 pound fresh Brussels sprouts, cleaned and quartered

2 TBSP reserved bacon fat, or butter

2 TBSP flour

1 cup whole milk

1 cup Monterey jack (or similar) cheese, grated

Olive oil, for greasing

Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 and bring a pot of water to a boil.
2. Clean and halve or quarter Brussels sprouts, depending on their size, and place on a sheet pan with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast until charred and crispy, about 20 minutes.
3. Cook the pasta according to package instructions.
4. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet or saucepan over medium heat, brown bacon until just crispy.
5. Transfer bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel and remove all but 2 TBSP of bacon fat from the pan.
6. Whisk in 2 TBSP of flour, stirring constantly until a thick roux forms. Allow the roux to brown for about 2 minutes, being careful not to burn it.
7. Stir in milk and whisk until the roux dissolves. Add cheese and stir again until it has melted and the sauce is cohesive. Taste for salt and pepper and add accordingly.
8. Pour cheese sauce over cooked pasta and add in half of the cooked bacon. Fold to combine.
9. Top pasta with the crispy Brussels sprouts, additional bacon, and fresh cracked black pepper. Enjoy!

Italian “Salsa Verde”

This is probably the easiest recipe I’ve ever attempted, and it was inspired by an abundance of herbs (which I just can’t stop irrationally buying during quarantine times). I was craving some kind of pesto or chimichurri situation, but didn’t have the right herbs for the job, so out came this baby dubbed Italian “Salsa Verde”. “Salsa Verde” is written in quotes because that name implies a tomatillo-based, Latin-inspired salsa, which this recipe is not. It is, however, delicious and easy and can literally be put on ANYTHING.

This recipe calls for parsley and mint, but truthfully you could use whatever fresh herbs you have on hand and I think it would be great. The capers, while delicious, could also be subbed for some other briny ingredient such as olives or even a pickled jalapeno if you enjoy spice. The walnuts can also easily be substituted with any other nut variety. From there, all you really need is a lemon, some olive oil, and S&P.

I chose to shoot this recipe with salmon for a nice color contrast, but you could truthfully pair it with anything from chicken, to steak, to pasta, to chickpeas and it would be delicious. The purpose is to bring a little brightness to an otherwise boring meal with minimal ingredients.

I hope you make this recipe and spoon it over all of the things to your heart’s content. And when you do, be sure to share a photo and tag me @theardentcook on Instagram!

Ingredients

¼ cup parsley, finely chopped

⅛ cup mint, finely chopped

3 TBSP capers, drained and roughly chopped

Juice and zest of ½ lemon

⅛ cup extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup walnuts, chopped 

¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste

Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Combine parsley, mint, capers, lemon zest, lemon juice, walnuts, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. 
2. Add olive oil and stir vigorously to combine (a fork works best here). Add additional olive oil if desired. 
3. Spoon over fish, chicken, or steak for a bright compliment to your protein. Alternatively, use this like a pesto for pasta or grain bowls.