Happy November and Thanksgiving week!!! It’s been awhile and it’s my first blog post-baby #2. A lot has happened. I had a baby and…I had a baby…and I had a baby. It’s been wonderful and amazing and crazy and exhausting. And I couldn’t feel more blessed. But more on that in a later post. For now, let’s focus on how happy I am that it’s Fall and almost the BEST food day of the year!
Out of all the holidays Thanksgiving is my absolute fave. I just love the season, the weather, the plaid, and how it’s all about sharing good food and good times with the ones you love.
Our turkey and stuffing traditions are pretty much set in stone. We grill our turkey and continually baste with butter seasoned with Worcestershire sauce and herbs. And our stuffing incorporates ham, ricotta, spinach, and mushrooms and is absolutely divine. With those two items in line, each year I love to experiment with apps, sides, and desserts. I especially love creating new veggie dishes or salads. Gotta get our greens and vitamins somehow, right?!
Last year I tested this one pan Brussels sprout & delicata squash dish and fell in love. I used to hate Brussels sprouts…every child does right. But then they became trendy. With them now on the ‘gotta have’ list, there are so many delicious Brussel sprout recipes.
I combined my Brussel sprouts with delicata squash and bacon. Delicata are sweet and have a thin skin that is easy to eat once roasted. The sweetness and soft texture of the delicata flesh is a perfect complement to nutty crunchy Brussel sprouts. And plus, BACON. Whenever bacon is involved you know it’s going to be good. I thought about cooking the bacon separate and then crumbling it over the veggies. But I loved the smoky flavor that came from roasting it altogether. And plus, one less pan which is always a win.
When I made this dish last year, I tossed with a maple syrup dressing. But I’m switching up the dressing this time. In our hometown, we recently ate at the restaurant Cucina and it stole my heart with an amazing brussel sprout chip appetizer. The brussel chips were light crispy and complemented with flavors of lime, honey and Sriracha. Soooo good and the inspiration for this year’s dressing.
I was so pleased by how this version turned out and look forward to having this every year going forward.
Thanks for reading friends and Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Valerie
- 1 lb. Brussel Sprouts (about 4 cups), rinsed and halved
- Delicata squash (About 4 cups - 1 large or two small, cut in half, remove seeds, and slice into ½ thick slices)
- 4 slices bacon, chopped into half inch pieces
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon of sweetener (honey, maple syrup, agave)
- For the dressing: Juice of one lime (about two tablespoons)
- 1 tablespoon of sweetener (honey, maple syrup, agave)
- ½ teaspoon Sriracha
- Update 2020: I prefer using date or pomegranate syrup for the sweetener
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Cover a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper. Place Brussel sprouts and delicata squash on the pan. Drizzle with olive oil, sweetener of choice, and sprinkle on ¼ teaspoon of salt. Toss together to coat. Spread the brussels sprouts and squash out so that it is one layer. This will ensure everything cooks evenly.
- Add bacon evenly around the pan. Place pan into the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes until squash is tender, Brussel sprouts are beginning to brown, and bacon is crispy.
- While the pan is in the oven, put together the dressing by combing the lime juice, sweetener of choice and Sriracha in a small bowl. Whisk together.
- Pour the dressing over the mixture and toss to coat. Pour into a serving dish and enjoy!
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