Nothing says fall and Thanksgiving like sweet potatoes. For a majority of my life, I was NOT a fan of sweet potatoes as they were always prepared as a type of dessert and seasoned sweetly with marshmallows and brown sugar. You know, the typical sweet potato dish at your family’s gathering. Well, I discovered that sweet potatoes are actually amazing when prepared to be savory! Add in some Brussels sprouts and bacon and I guarantee you will have people watering at the mouth for your untraditional spin on a traditional Thanksgiving side dish. Bonus points that these can be made Paleo style!
Ingredients:
- 2 large sweet potatoes
- 1 bunch of Brussels sprouts
- 1 package of bacon (nitrate/sugar free if paleo)
- 1/4 C Extra Virgin olive oil or butter*
- 1 Tsp salt
- 1 Tsp pepper
- 1 ½ Tbsp onion flakes
- 1 Tsp garlic powder
- 1-1 ½ Tbsp sweet smoked paprika
- XL baking pan
- Foil paper
- Cooking Spray
*optional
Instructions:
- Fry bacon in a large skillet to desired crispiness. I like mine on the crispier side, especially since this will be used as a topping after baking. Set bacon grease aside and let cool (skip this step if you prefer to use olive oil or butter).
- Preheat oven to 425°F and line baking pan with foil. I used a 21×15 pan. This makes a lot! Spray foil lined pan with cooking spray of your choice. I use an olive oil spray. Set pan aside.
Wash and peel your sweet potatoes, then cut into medium to small cubes. Place in a large mixing or punch bowl.
*Tip: I like to cut the sweet potatoes in slices first, stack them, and then cut them like a grid to make cubes.
- Wash your Brussels sprouts well to remove any dirt, and quarter them. Place in the same bowl as the sweet potatoes.
- Remember that bacon grease you set aside earlier? Pour some into the bowl with your sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts. You want enough to coat lightly to moderately. Do not over saturate them! This will be about ¼ cup give or take. If you prefer to use EVOO or melted butter, replace the bacon grease with that. However, bacon grease adds the perfect flavor to this savory side!
- Add in your spices: salt, pepper, onion flakes, garlic powder, and sweet smoked paprika.
- Cover the bowl and toss or with your hands, mix, the sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts to coat evenly with the bacon grease and spices. You want to make sure the seasoning is distributed throughout.
- Spread your mix onto the baking pan over one layer so not many are overlapping. Don’t crowd the pan.
- Bake for 15 minutes then shuffle and flip them over to cook the other side. Bake for an additional 8 minutes.
- Once done baking, place on stove top and crumble the bacon you made earlier over the sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts. Once cooled, mix the bacon in a bit. Serve and wait for the compliments!
If you enjoyed this recipe, check out more from our tribe at Coastal Bend Mom Collective, and drop a comment below to tell us what your family thought!
