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Stress-Free Thanksgiving: Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Onions, Bacon and Cranberries

On Thanksgiving, my husband cooks our turkey. It goes in the countertop rotisserie and spins around, cooking for a few hours. It’s always juicy and so flavorful, and everyone dives for it.

But me? I am all about the side dishes. There’s something exciting about a table loaded with squash, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, carrots and so much more. And we can’t forget the Brussels sprouts — they’re a must, and truly my favorite.

Mix those Brussels sprouts with bacon and you have something amazing — salty and savory. The teensiest hint of sweet. Add in caramelized roasted onions, sweet dried cranberries and salt and pepper … and it’s heaven. In a serving bowl.

And the best part of this Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Onions, Bacon and Cranberries recipe? It’s so simple. With just a little chopping and a little roasting, the dish comes together quickly and easily.

Being Thankful

This post is part of a Thanksgiving series created by mom blogger Jenny Melrose from The NY Melrose Family.

Jenny and I know each other from way back in high school, and I will never forget how kind she was to me on my first day. It was sophomore year, and I had moved to the small town just a few weeks earlier. Although I could have stayed at my same Catholic high school about 30 minutes away, I decided I wanted to try public school.

On the first day, I felt so out of place. It had been years since I had worn anything other than a uniform to school so I was awkward in my clothes and in my skin. When lunchtime rolled around, I was ready to tell my parents it was all a mistake and I wanted to go back to my old school. But Jenny insisted I eat with she and her friends.

It was a simple act of kindness that brightened my day — and by the end of that day, I had met many nice girls.

While Jenny and I never made it past the acquaintance stage in high school, we had lots of classes together and I was always amazed about how upbeat, happy and kind she was. She still is. When I ran into her at BlogHer ’12 this summer, she was just as sweet and welcoming as I remembered from that first day of sophomore year.

When Jenny asked me to join her Thankful Series back in August, my mind was swimming with ideas of what I would make to post about — and what I was grateful for. The truth is that I am grateful for so much.

Two wonderful kids who amaze me all the time.

Two beagles that make me laugh every day.

A supportive husband.

A great family.

Our home.

Being able to pursue my passion for writing (and cooking) every day.

But I keep coming back to one thing: what I am most grateful for this November is kindness. Kind people have a way of making you smile. Kindness touches your heart. The simple truth is that a kind word, a generous thought and even the simplest of kind gestures can mean so much. And in the wake of Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy, I saw kindness all around — in my community, my social networking community and the world at large. I am so grateful for kindness.

I hope you will tune in to all the posts in A Thankful Series. Be sure to check out Dorothy from Crazy for Crust’s post from yesterday — a recipe for the mouthwatering Coconut French Silk Pie and also drop in on Kelly from Live Laugh Rowe  tomorrow to see what she has in store.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Onions, Bacon and Cranberries

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Onions, Bacon and Cranberries

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
  • 1 small yellow onion, quartered and cut into 1/4-inch slices
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • 1-2 tbsp dried cranberries

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Toss together the Brussels sprouts, onion, olive oil, salt and pepper on a nonstick baking sheet. Slide into the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Stir. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until vegetables are golden and soft.
  3. Combine the Brussels sprouts, bacon and dried cranberries in a mixing bowl. Toss well to combine. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
  4. Serve.

Notes

Note: This can be made a day in advance.

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Kurt Jacobson

Saturday 23rd of November 2013

Looks like a great time to try something different than green bean casserole for the Thanskgiving veg dish this year!

Kristin

Thursday 21st of November 2013

I am SO excited to try this for Thanksgiving! I am traveling - so when you say it can be made in advance, did/do you do anything differently? Or do you just fully cook it and heat it before serving? Thanks!

Sarah W. Caron

Thursday 21st of November 2013

Hi Kristin,

Hope you love it! When I make it in advance, I simply fully cook it and then reheat it, as you mentioned. Since it's fully cooked, reheating at a lower temperature (I recommend 325 degrees) for 10-15 minutes (if you reheat on a baking sheet) should do it. If you reheat it in a casserole, then it will need to cook a little longer. Hope that helps!

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