My mom grew up really disliking Brussels sprouts, so she never cooked with them. And I grew up convinced they were essentially poisonous. I’d never actually tried a Brussels sprout until my first Christmas in England way back in the day; my stepmother-in-law always makes them with Christmas dinner. I tried them to be polite and was extremely surprised to find that they were delicious. My mom came with us to the UK one year for Christmas and tried them herself, and she, too, was converted.

The sprout of Brussels definitely gets a bad rap, but it seems like it is the new hotness in ingredients. I see recipes for them everywhere, and clearly when they’re cooked correctly (read: not boiled to death), they are awesome. I made them for Christmas this year myself. And last weekend I used them in this scrumptious frittata recipe from Food & Wine. I didn’t have a small enough skillet, which is why my frittata is quite thin. But it was lick-your-fingers good, and it’s one of the best smelling things I’ve cooked in a while.

Brussels Sprout, Bacon, and Gruyere Frittata (from January 2014 Food & Wine)

1/2 pound thick-cut bacon, diced
2 shallots, halved and thinly sliced
3/4 pound brussels sprouts, halved and sliced 1/4 inch thick
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
8 large eggs
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese
1/4 cup snipped chives

Preheat the broiler and position a rack 6 inches from the heat. In a 12-inch nonstick ovenproof skillet (**I don’t have a 12″ nonstick skillet, so I used my bigger skillet) cook the bacon over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the brussels sprouts, season with salt and pepper and cook, tossing occasionally, until crisp-tender and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the eggs with the milk, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Stir in the shredded cheese and snipped chives.

Pour the egg mixture into the skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring gently, until the eggs start to set and the bottom is lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the skillet to the oven and broil the frittata for about 3 minutes, until the center is just set.

Run a rubber spatula around the edge of the frittata and slide it onto a serving plate, then cut it into 6 pieces and serve.