Name: Bacon and Shallot Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 2 lbs Brussels sprouts (trimmed and halved through the stem); 6 slices thick-cut bacon (cut into 1-inch pieces); 3 medium shallots (peeled and thinly sliced); 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 1 tbsp honey (for drizzling at the end); 1/2 tsp kosher salt (plus more to taste); 1/4 tsp black pepper (freshly ground)

From the roundup: 12 Easy Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes Everyone Will Ask About

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These bacon and shallot roasted Brussels sprouts are what finally got two of my kids to stop pushing the green things to the edge of their plate. The trick is the bacon fat in the bowl before the sprouts ever hit the pan. It coats everything, so by the time they come out of the oven the cut sides are dark and a little crunchy, not pale and soft the way steamed Brussels sprouts get.

The active work here is about 15 minutes: trimming, halving, cooking the bacon partway, and getting everything onto the pan. After that you leave it alone for the first 15 minutes of roasting, which is the part that actually matters. That undisturbed time is what builds the crust. A quick honey drizzle goes on the second the pan comes out, and then you serve it right away.

Total time is 40 minutes, which makes this doable on a weeknight but impressive enough for Thanksgiving. I have made it both ways more times than I can count.

Why you will love this

The bacon fat does the heavy seasoning work, so you do not need much else in the bowl.
One sheet pan, one skillet for the bacon, and you are done.
The honey drizzle happens after the oven, so it stays bright and does not burn.
You can partially cook the bacon and trim the sprouts a day ahead, which saves real time on a busy holiday.
The apple cider vinegar cuts through the richness just enough that the whole dish does not feel heavy.

Tips for success

Place the rack in the lower third of the oven. The cut sides brown against the hot pan from below rather than just cooking from the top heat. I skipped this once and got steamed, not roasted.
Do not cook the bacon all the way through in the skillet. Four to five minutes gets it browned and starting to crisp, and it finishes in the oven. Fully cooked bacon tends to go tough and chewy after another 25 minutes of heat.
Arrange as many sprouts as possible cut-side down before they go in. Crowded pans and sprouts standing on their rounded side both lead to soft edges instead of caramelized ones.
Do not toss them for the first 15 minutes. Set a timer and walk away. That rest period is when the crust forms, and stirring early breaks it before it has a chance to set.

What to serve alongside this

These go well next to a simple roast chicken or pork tenderloin since the bacon and honey do not compete with much.
At Thanksgiving they work alongside mashed potatoes and gravy because the caramelized edges hold up on the plate instead of going soggy.
If you want a full sheet pan dinner, roast a batch of chicken thighs on a separate pan at the same temperature and time the two together.

Substitutions

Turkey bacon works here, but it renders much less fat. If you use it, add an extra tablespoon of olive oil to the bowl so the sprouts still get enough fat to caramelize. Yellow onion can replace the shallots in a pinch, though shallots go sweeter and softer faster, which works better at this roasting time. Red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar both swap in for the apple cider vinegar without changing much.

For a vegetarian version, skip the bacon entirely and use three tablespoons of olive oil total. Add a quarter teaspoon of smoked paprika to the bowl for some depth. The sprouts will still caramelize well, they just will not have that salty, porky background flavor.

Make-ahead and storage

You can trim and halve the sprouts and cook the bacon partway up to one day ahead. Store them separately in the fridge, then toss everything together and roast right before serving. Do not toss them in the fat ahead of time or the sprouts will start to break down before they hit the oven.

Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat them on a sheet pan at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. The microwave makes the edges soft and a little sad. These do not freeze well since the texture turns mushy after thawing.

Brittany Stage