As the weekend winds down and you find yourself looking through the fridge to last minute meal prep for the upcoming week, more often than not you probably draw a blank when you don't see much but those Brussel sprouts you bought a week ago that are slowly going bad and that ground beef leftover from Saturday's cook out. While there are several delicious meals these two main ingredients could fulfill, today's recipe, Firecracker Beef and Brussel Sprouts, packs a sweet and spicy punch of flavor that reheats well and is sure to leave your tastebuds in ecstasy! Call it a stir fry knockoff or whatever you want, but this spicy ground beef and veggie combo is simple, quick, and sure to satisfy your weekly meal prep needs. Sometimes, the most simple food combination is just the best way to clear out the fridge and eat well too....Let's Get Cooking!
Begin this recipe by preparing the Firecracker Sauce. Combine the hot sauce, honey, apple cider vinegar, and cornstarch in a small bowl and mix thoroughly. Be sure to get any lumps of cornstarch completely dissolved into the sauce. Once well mixed, set aside for now and move on to the next step.
The only real time consuming and semi-tedious part of this entire recipe is the veggie prep. Cut the excess stems off the bottom of the Brussel sprouts and slice them in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and stems from the poblano peppers and roughly dice them into small bite-sized pieces, about 1-inch square or so. Additionally, dice the onion into similar-sized pieces.
Now that the prep work is complete, we can start cooking this Firecracker Beef and Brussel Sprouts recipe! Preheat an Air Fryer, or your oven, to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the Brussel sprouts and toss to coat them evenly. Be sure to season them with salt and pepper as well. Arrange the sprouts in a single layer in your Air Fryer or on an oven tray and roast them for 6 to 8 minutes or so until softened and slightly browned. That hint of browning and char really adds a ton of flavor to the final dish but be careful not to overcook your Brussel sprouts to a soft, mushy consistency. We want them to still have some "bite" after combining with the rest of the ingredients. Once cooked, simply set aside and continue with the next stir fry cooking step.
Add the diced poblano peppers to a large pan over Medium-High heat with some olive oil and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes so they just begin to soften.
Next, add the diced onion and continue to sauté both veggies for an additional 1 to minutes. Be sure to season them with some salt and pepper to help bring out the natural liquids and flavor.
After sauteing the onions a minute or so, add the red pepper flakes and let the everything continue cooking for another minute. Toss in the minced garlic and sauté for another minute, until fragrant, and the onions are just starting to turn translucent.
Remove the veggie mixture from the pan and set aside momentarily. Add the ground beef to the same hot pan and cook it for 14 to 16 minutes over Medium to Medium-High heat. Again, season the beef with salt and pepper and cook it till browned and no longer pink in the center.
Once the ground beef is essentially cooked through, return the sauteed veggies to the pan along with the roasted Brussel sprouts. Stir to combine everything before pouring the Firecracker Sauce over the entire mixture. Give it an additional mix and cook everything over Medium-High heat for 2 to 3 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the beef and veggies.
Once the sauce has thickened, you have finished up this simple and delicious Firecracker Beef and Brussel Sprouts recipe! You can serve it as is or over rice, depending on any dietary restrictions or carb counting efforts. Additionally, a little drizzle of sriracha really finishes the dish off with that extra blast of spicy heat and flavor!
This Firecracker Beef and Brussel Sprouts is a quick and easy weeknight dinner or great meal prep option as it reheats quite well! It tastes perfectly fine without the rice for all the KETO/low carb folks, and is truly a tasty dish made from refrigerator finds that might otherwise go to waste. I understand not everyone is a big Brussel sprout fan, but that doesn't mean you should totally avoid these little healthy mini cabbage delights, especially if you like the idea of this particular recipe. I mean, what else are you going to do with them besides cook them with bacon and maybe some balsamic vinegar? Variety is the spice of life, folks, so next time you find yourself perusing the fridge for inspiration, think of this recipe and the numerous possibilities of a couple simple ingredients....Just Keep Cooking!
FIRECRACKER BEEF AND BRUSSEL SPROUTS
I made this meal this past weekend. I did not let the firecracker sauce cook long enough and settle (Step 9) settle like it was supposed to, so it did taste a little watery and oily, but after I did let it settle and reheated it the next day, it tasted pretty good! You'll want to eat it with something-the flavors are bold enough that it should be paired with rice, ramen noodles or on bed of shredded cabbage with some sesame seeds thrown on top! This one's a keeper for me!