Martha Stewart's Bacon Appetizer Is the Best Thing You'll Make This Holiday

I never understood why some people hate Brussels sprouts. What’s not to love? Layers and layers of Brassica that can be enjoyed raw, sautéed, fried, roasted, baked into a casserole, and grilled. Even as a kid, I enjoyed them long before they started popping up on every menu in the early 2000s.

Although I’ve always been a fan of Brussels sprouts, I never really considered making them as an appetizer. A solid side dish or salad? Sure. But a snack? Even that was a little much for me.

That was until I tried Martha Stewart’s Bacon-Wrapped Brussels Sprouts. While I did manage to snap photos of the finished dish for this story, it was no easy feat. People use the expression “I couldn’t stop eating them” a little too freely, but in this instance, I truly could not stop popping these crisp, salty, beautiful little bites into my mouth.

How I Make Martha Stewart’s Bacon-Wrapped Brussels Sprouts

The recipe calls for seasoning the sprouts with salt, pepper, and thyme before wrapping them with the bacon. Without oil, the seasonings won’t stick to the sprouts, so my suggestion is to add the prepped sprouts to a large bowl, then add about 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard and mix with your hands so they get nice and coated. Then season with salt, pepper, and thyme before wrapping in bacon.

The bacon—just a quarter of a strip per sprout—is enough to fully enrobe the entire sprout, with each bite fully rendered and incredibly crisp. Bake them on a wire rack set over a pan (to catch the drippings) in a 400°F oven.

Bacon and Brussels sprouts have been besties for a long time, so pairing them together makes perfect sense. However, I have to admit I was pretty blown away by just how good it was.

The first batch I made was assembled with pretty tiny sprouts (it’s still early in the season), so I was a bit nervous they would shrink down to nothing. But the end result was the most perfectly cooked, tender yet crunchy sprout I’d ever tasted.

I can’t say anything disparaging about the sauce you serve the sprouts with—grainy mustard mixed with a little maple syrup and apple cider vinegar. The bacon-wrapped bites of goodness are so tasty on their own, so I didn’t feel the need to dip them in anything else.

Tips for Making This Incredible Appetizer

While I have absolutely no notes on the concept of this recipe (10/10), the practicality of it could use a little work.

First off, the recipe calls for an entire pound of Brussels sprouts, but I only used about half for the amount of bacon. I will say this is probably a tricky ratio to nail down because sprouts vary in size, but if I were to make these for a party (which I absolutely will do!), I’d say a safe bet is to double up on the bacon.

These are reminiscent of the classic holiday appetizer, Devils on Horseback, which are bacon-wrapped dates. I think pairing the two together would create an amazing sweet-and-savory combination this holiday season.