Roasted Potatoes with Bacon & Brussels Sprouts
The combination of bacon, Brussels sprouts, and potatoes is always a win, no matter what you do with them (Brussels and pork are meant to be together). But I added some grainy mustard just to make things more interesting. This is the perfect side dish for a cold evening.
This recipe is a variation on one that a family member has made for me before, which is just potatoes and bacon. Simple ingredients, but the ingenious part is in the execution: You don’t cook the bacon beforehand. Just throw the bacon in raw, and as it crisps, the rendered fat coats and flavors the vegetables.
I love the touch of mustard, a little tang that goes surprisingly well with the sprouts, too. The only thing you have to think about is giving the bacon and potatoes a head start in the oven, since the Brussels sprouts take less time to cook. You want your potatoes to be pretty tender (a fork should go in without too much force) before you add the sprouts. And the smaller you dice your bacon, the crispier it’ll be.
Tester’s Notes
This has long been one of the most popular side dish recipes in our recipe collection, and understandably so. It has all the hallmarks of this recipe: comfort food flavors in a rather brilliantly simple little package.
I did make a few changes when retesting this. I feel that mixing the Brussels in with the potatoes didn’t create as crispy of a potato (or as browned of a sprout) as I like. So I push the potatoes to one side of the pan and the sprouts to the other as they cook, which lets each get browned and crispy without steaming the other up.
I also have you crank up the oven heat in the last 15 minutes as the sprouts go in, which, again, contributes to nicely browned and flavorful vegetables that still retain some bite in the center.
— Faith, December 2014
Roasted Potatoes with Bacon & Brussels Sprouts
Serves 4
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon
olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon
whole grain mustard
- 1 teaspoon
kosher salt, plus more as needed
Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 pounds
Yukon Gold potatoes, large dice (3/4-inch), or mini Yukon Gold potatoes, quartered
- 4 ounces
thick-cut bacon (about 3 slices), diced
- 8 ounces
Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
Instructions
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F.
Place 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil, mustard, and salt in a large bowl, season with pepper, and whisk to combine. Add the potatoes and bacon and toss until evenly coated. Transfer to a large, rimmed baking sheet and spread into an even layer. (Reserve the bowl.) Roast until the potatoes are tender, stirring every 10 minutes, 25 to 40 minutes total.
Increase the oven temperature to 475°F. Place the Brussels sprouts and remaining 1/2 tablespoon of oil in the reserved bowl and toss to combine. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Push the potatoes to one side of the pan. Add the Brussels sprouts to the other side and arrange cut-side down in an even layer.
Roast until the sprouts are tender and browned, and the bacon is crisp, about 15 more minutes more. Taste and season with salt as needed.
Recipe Notes
This recipe as originally written called for 1 shallot, sliced and roasted along with the potatoes. If you have a shallot on hand, by all means throw it in, but it's not necessary for this simple side dish.
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.