That's So Primal

Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Bacon

Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Bacon on a plate

This roasted brussels sprouts & bacon recipe is what got me hooked on brussels sprouts.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Bacon quartered

My wife first looked up some recipe online, that for the life of me I can’t find, where it included brussels sprouts and bacon.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Bacon closeup

Every time I would try to remake it my portions were off until I think I finally narrowed it down to this recipe. I can almost eat this just as it is or as a side. We make this recipe a lot… A LOT.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Bacon before roasting

Every time I make this for friends and family they always ask me for the recipe. I will now be able to send them this post instead of some janky text or email where I try to rattle off the ingredients.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Bacon side view

Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Bacon
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Ingredients
  1. 3lbs Brussels Sprouts
  2. 1lb Bacon cut into 1/2” pieces
  3. .5T Butter
  4. .5T Olive Oil
  5. Kosher Salt & Pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425°.
  2. Cut off the ends of the brussels sprouts then quarter them. This is pretty time consuming so put on some music. Cut the bacon.
  3. Heat up a skillet and toss in the bacon. Cook bacon until almost crispy. Dump out bacon fat but still leave a thin layer of the fat in the skillet. Save bacon fat and put it in your fridge.
  4. Throw in butter then toss in quartered brussels sprouts. Pour olive oil and crack some pepper over the skillet then stir to coat evenly. Cook in skillet until brussels sprouts start to brown (10 min).
  5. After brussels sprouts are browned pour them onto a foil lined baking sheet and sprinkle salt on top of the partially cooked brussels sprouts and bacon. Put the sheet in the oven and roast for 20-25 minutes until desired crispness.
That's So Primal https://www.thatssoprimal.com/

My Story

Hi, I’m Randall.

I’m a husband to my best friend, Kristi, and a father to three daughters.

If you are looking for a chef with a culinary degree, you’re in the wrong place. I’m a graphic designer by day. I might hold my knife wrong, and I definitely chop onions slower than the pros.

But I have been cooking this way since 2011, and I built this site to share the practical, family-friendly recipes that keep us healthy in a busy world.

The “Before”: Desk Jobs & Honeycomb

My Primal story started in December 2011, but the trouble began a few years earlier.

When I got married in 2009, I transitioned from an active college lifestyle (skateboarding everywhere) to a sedentary desk job. My diet didn’t adjust to match. I was fueling a sedentary body with spaghetti, fast-food burritos, and massive tubs of Costco pretzels.

I was a sugar addict. I grew up hating scrambled eggs and preferring three bowls of Honeycomb cereal for breakfast.

In just two years, I went from a skinny 150 lbs to a soft, sluggish 180 lbs. I was experiencing what Mark Sisson calls “insidious weight gain”—it happened so slowly I didn’t notice until none of my clothes fit.

The Turning Point

At the end of 2011, my wife decided we needed a change. She logged onto Amazon and bought a cookbook: Primal Blueprint Quick and Easy Meals.

When it arrived, I picked it up out of curiosity. That led me down a rabbit hole. I bought Mark Sisson’s guide, The 21-Day Total Body Transformation, and decided to commit for just three weeks.

The results were undeniable. After 21 days, the brain fog lifted. Six months later, I had dropped 30 pounds, returning to my college weight of 150 lbs.

I didn’t lose the weight by starving myself. I lost it by reading Mark’s Daily Apple, understanding the science of ancestral health, and swapping processed junk for real food.

“Are You Still Primal?”

Friends still ask me this question constantly. It’s funny to me because I don’t look at Primal as a “diet” anymore. It’s just how I live.

Once I understood how industrial seed oils, processed sugars, and gluten caused inflammation, the idea of “stopping” never crossed my mind. I don’t have Celiac disease or an autoimmune condition; I just prefer feeling energized over feeling sluggish.

Today, 14 years later, I am still 150 lbs. I still prioritize sleep. I still get out in the sun. And yes, I still eat this way.

Why This Blog Exists

I created That’s So Primal to organize the recipes that actually work for my family.

It’s a collection of my favorites—some are tweaks on classics, some are family experiments. My goal is to show you that you don’t need to be a gourmet chef to feed your family nutrient-dense, delicious meals.