Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pears, Bacon and Cranberries will be your new favorite holiday side dish! Tons of savory, sweet flavor and it’s all made in one skillet! (Gluten-free and Paleo)

Thanksgiving is next Thursday, how did it sneak up so fast?! As of right now we don’t have anything planned. We’ll be staying here in Denver because as much as we’d like to travel back to Arizona and spend it with our families, it’s so darn expensive to fly during the holidays.

Last year I made a small Thanksgiving for two and even though I would have rather it been for 20, it was still nice. This year, whether we end up staying at home or going somewhere I plan on making these Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pears, Bacon and Cranberries.

When it come to Brussels sprouts I think people either love or hate them. I’m on team love and my husband, well, he’ll choke down a couple, but I’d categorize him as team hate. Even with the bacon he still doesn’t like the little guys. Oh well, more for me!

I always laugh at how different our plates look when we sit down to eat Thanksgiving dinner. His is basically divided into thirds. Turkey, an embarrassingly huge mound of mashed potatoes drowning in gravy and rolls. It’s a very “white” plate of food.

I on the other hand am all about the vegetable side dishes. Bring on those Brussels, roasted carrots, sweet potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce and of course the turkey. I usually don’t bother with the rolls because I know I’ll have one the next day when I make an epic turkey sandwich with all the leftovers. I also skip the rolls and am modest with the potatoes because I’m saving up my calories and space in my stomach for ALL the pie!

The great thing about these roasted Brussels sprouts is that they’re all made in one skillet. The bacon is cooked first and then some of the grease is saved so that you don’t have to add any extra oil when you roast the Brussels sprouts and pears. It also adds tons of extra flavor to the dish!

The pears are added in during the last few minutes of roasting so they don’t get mushy and then the bacon, dried cranberries and pecan all get added to the mix. It’s the perfect combination of savory, sweet, salty flavors with a little crunch for good measure!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pears, Bacon and Cranberries

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

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Ingredients

• 4 slices of bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon bacon grease
• 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 2 ripe pears (d'anjou or comice), cut into a large dice
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 3 tablespoons toasted chopped pecans
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Heat a 12 inch cast iron skillet or other oven safe skillet over medium heat and place the bacon pieces into it. Cook the bacon until most of the fat is rendered out and it's crisp. 
3.  Remove the bacon from the pan onto a plate lined with paper towels and set aside. Pour the bacon grease out of the skillet and into a bowl or cup.
4. Add the Brussels sprouts into the skillet along with a tablespoon of the bacon grease, salt and pepper. Toss until coated and then place the skillet into the preheated oven. Roast for 15-20 minutes, stirring once during the cooking.
5. Remove the skillet from the oven and stir in the diced pears. Roast for another 4-5 minutes or until the pears are warm. Be careful not to roast them too long or they will get mushy.
6. Remove the skillet from the oven and top with the bacon, dried cranberries, chopped pecans and thyme leaves. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Information:

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 220 Total Fat: 12g Saturated Fat: 4g Cholesterol: 14mg Sodium: 477mg Fiber: 7g Sugar: 12g Protein: 7g

More Brussels Sprout Side Dishes

Apple, Almond and Blue Cheese Brussels Sprout Salad

Balsamic Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Cranberry Orange Brussels Sprout Slaw