AIP Brussels Sprouts Gratin

Some weeks on this protocol ask more of you than others, and what you actually want on those weeks is food that tastes like comfort used to taste, before dairy and grain left the kitchen. This gratin gets there anyway: brussels sprouts braised soft in broth, bacon, and a crushed plantain chip topping doing the job breadcrumbs would have done.

Brussels sprouts are part of the cruciferous family, and the sulforaphane they produce once they are cut or chewed is something researchers are still mapping for a role in immune regulation, promising signals rather than settled science. Bacon from a good source adds the kind of richness that makes a protocol dinner feel like real food instead of a substitution.

Buy good bacon here, since there's this little of it in the dish and it needs to earn its place. Crush the plantain chips in your own hands just before you serve this, not with a spoon; let that small, unhurried motion be the moment you actually notice this is about to be dinner, not just the last step before it.

Ingredients

• 4 AIP-friendly bacon slices
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup (optional)
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1 cup AIP-friendly plantain chips
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Method

Cook the bacon in a wide, heavy skillet over medium heat until crispy. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate and set aside, leaving about 1 tablespoon of the rendered fat in the pan.

Add the sliced red onion to the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to color, about 5 minutes. If you are using the maple syrup, add it now and stir to coat.

Add the halved Brussels sprouts cut side down. Season with half the salt. Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until the sprouts are tender when pierced with a knife.

Remove the lid and let the broth reduce for 2 to 3 minutes until it coats the vegetables in a light glaze. Drizzle with olive oil and season with the remaining salt.

Roughly crush the plantain chips in your hands and scatter them over the top. Crumble the reserved bacon over everything. Serve immediately.

*Adapted from Autoimmune Wellness*