Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes with Bacon
11Last weekend, I mixed up a marinade and went to unwrap my pork tenderloin only to discover that what I thought was a pork tenderloin was actually about a pound of bacon. I managed to thaw the wrong thing. Oops. I’m so glad one of the reasons I left the bacon in the butcher paper with the label was so I could easily tell what it was, and then I never bothered to actually read it….
Thankfully, the marinade was pretty adaptable and we had chicken breasts in the fridge, so I ended up using those. Tom, however, told me we had to have pork for dinner, because he’d been looking forward to it since I told him I would be roasting a pork tenderloin. So, what’s a girl to do but use some of the bacon? I was originally going to just pan-roast the brussels sprouts and bacon together. But, since I’d also planned on sweet potato wedges for dinner, I figured I might as well just roast everything together—partly because I thought it would go well together, but mostly because I’m lazy.
I tossed everything with ancho chili powder, which really lends more smokiness than heat, figuring it would play well with the bacon. I did add a little cayenne for some heat (as you know, I’ve long been a fan of sweet potatoes when combined with chiles or spice rather than sugar and cinnamon). The bacon and brussels sprouts turned nice and crisp while the sweet potatoes were fluffy and tender. I’d declare it a winning combination.
My kid, who is a brussels sprout FANATIC was originally annoyed that I mixed everything together. He said he didn’t think it would taste very yummy. Three servings later, I’m pretty sure I had his seal of approval.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes with Bacon
1 lb. brussels sprouts, ends removed and cut in half (quartered if very large)
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1″ pieces
3 slices bacon, chopped
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1.5 tsp. ancho chili powder
dash of cayenne
kosher salt to taste
Preheat the oven to 425.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, tossing to make sure everything is evenly coated with oil and chili powder. Spread out onto a large rimmed baking dish and roast for about 25-30 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked, brussels sprouts are done, and bacon is crisp.
Haha how funny that you actually labeled it and still got it wrong, because I know I’ve done the same thing! Great use of the bacon here.
I love everything with brussels sprouts
Great recipe, Elly!
I agree that sweet potatoes and spice always belong together! Mmm.
Looks delicious! How many does this serve?
Christine, I would say 3ish, depending on appetite and what else is served. Zachary looooves brussels sprouts and is a sweet potato fan so he ate at least as much as we did, if not more. 🙂
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Our friends totally made this for Thanksgiving. I forgot to tell you about it, but I was like “Hey, I recognize that!” when I saw it on the food table.
Haha that’s awesome. I hope you liked it. 🙂
I wish my kids liked brussel sprouts! Although I could probably eat the entire pan of them myself so that won’t stop me from trying the recipe. Thanks for sharing!