I was telling some friends about the stuffed mushrooms I love so well, when one screwed her face into a frown and said, "I can’t stand the smell or taste of mushrooms." This is an indication that she is weird in other ways, too.

But I thought I should honor her feelings by using the stuffing in another way, and that’s how my stuffed Brussels sprouts came about. I still am a stuffed mushroom lover but these stuffed Brussels sprouts are pretty darn delicious as well.

If I’m eating buttered Brussels sprouts, I prefer to buy the frozen ones because I like my vegetables soft, almost mushy. I know it’s considered high-class to eat slightly crisp vegetables, but I ain’t got no class. So if you want to try this stuffed variety, buy fresh ones in the produce department.

When you do make these, it helps to slice them in half and parboil the Brussels sprouts cut side-down for a couple of minutes. This softens them up and makes it easier to cut out the core so you’ll have plenty of room in which to put the stuffing.

1 dozen large Brussels sprouts

5 cloves garlic, minced

2-1/2 tablespoons olive oil

6 slices bacon, fried crisp and broken into small pieces

1 cup Parmesan cheese

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

3/4 cup seasoned Italian bread crumbs

2 teaspoons basil

2 teaspoons thyme

Salt and pepper

Butter

Cut the Brussels sprouts in half and parboil them cut side-down for a couple of minutes. Use a grapefruit spoon to remove the core from the boiled sprouts.

Save the core pieces and mince them into tiny bits. Sauté the minced Brussels sprouts cores, the minced garlic and the bacon in the olive oil. You may be able to use less olive oil, since the bacon will produce plenty of grease.

Mix the remaining ingredients well. Drain the sautéed items and stir them in the dry ingredients. This will be your stuffing, and you can put it into the Brussels sprouts shells and fill them full.

Put them into a casserole dish you’ve greased with butter. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Serve these as the side vegetable with most any meat entrée. They’re delicious, and you’ll likely get requests for them often.

Readers with questions or comments for Dave Kessler may write to him in care of this publication.