My family loves Brussels sprouts. When my girls were younger, fights would break out if one took more Brussels sprouts then the other. My usual cooking method is to steam the sprouts until tender, heat up a nonstick pan that has been lightly sprayed with olive oil, slightly brown the sprouts, and then sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper. Last weekend I tried a Rachael Ray recipe that I found on the Food Network website that we all really enjoyed and I think that it is worthy of serving to guests.  I also think that non-sprout lovers will enjoy this dish too. Below is my adaptation of the recipe.  ~merry carter~

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup of chopped red onion
• 1 ½ pounds of cleaned and trimmed Brussels sprouts, cut the large sprouts in half
• 3 slices of precooked bacon, cut or crumbled into small pieces
• Ground pepper to taste
• 1 cup low sodium chicken broth

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet that can be covered.  Add the red onion and cook until the onion just starts to brown. Add the Brussels sprouts and stir to coat with the oil. Sauté for about 3 to 4 minutes until the sprouts start to tender and begin to brown. Add the chicken broth, sprinkle with the pepper, and stir in 1/3 of the bacon. Bring to a boil and then cover and reduce heat to medium low. Cook for 10 minutes or until the sprouts are tender (don’t over cook or they will become mushy). Use a slotted spoon to remove the sprouts, onion, and bacon, and transfer to a pre-warmed serving dish. Reduce the liquid that is remaining in the pan by cooking at medium high heat for about 3 minutes. Once the liquid is reduced to half, pour over the spouts and sprinkle on the remaining bacon.