This Roasted Sprouts and Squash with Warm Pomegranate Bacon Dressing is a gorgeous side dish that I plan on serving all through the fall and holiday season!
Welcome back to Thanksgiving Week 2018! I hope you all are ready for another recipe and have downloaded your menu planner to fill out along the way! Yesterday, we kicked off the week with an epic Slow Cooker Turkey Breast with Cider Gravy. Trust me when I say that having to prep this 3 weeks before Thanksgiving to share it with you here was WORTH IT! And I can’t wait to make it again.
Today, we are shifting our focus to side dishes. I’ll be sharing two more simple (but totally delish) sides this week on Wednesday and Thursday, so be sure to come back for those! If you have been following along with my guide for a simple, make-ahead Thanksgiving, you know that I’m asking you to have guests bring the desserts. This is just to help YOU, the HOST, avoid overwhelm. But by all means, if you have a special dessert you want to make, go right ahead!
So let’s get back to sides…..and start off with these colorful Roasted Sprouts and Squash with Warm Pomegranate Bacon Dressing! Roasted veggies are my absolute favorite side dish and always seem to be a huge hit when I make them to share with friends and family. Of course, they are delectable with just a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. But, since it’s the holiday season and Thanksgiving at that, I wanted to make them extra special by adding a little more color and flavor.
The warm pomegranate bacon dressing is simple to mix up in under 5 minutes and combines the flavors of salt (bacon) + acid (apple cider vinegar, pomegranate juice) + sweet (maple syrup) to reach a balance that elevates the dish and makes it irresistible to even those who don’t like veggies! The crispy bacon pieces and pomegranate seeds add a crunchy texture, which I love, and a pop of color from the pomegranate arils. Note that we are only using 3 pieces of bacon for an entire recipe that serves 6-8 people – you just need a little for flavor!
Prepping the Ingredients Ahead of Time
When you are trying to prep as much food ahead of time as possible, a really simple thing you can do with veggies you plan to roast is cut them 1-2 days ahead of time. That’s what I did with the sprouts, squash, and pomegranate arils! You could also go ahead and combine the ingredients for the warm pomegranate bacon dressing. To learn how to cut a butternut squash, see the video below:
Tips for Modifying this Recipe
- Make it vegetarian: sub out toasted pecan pieces for the bacon to add crunch. Simply place pecan pieces in a skillet over low-medium heat, and stir around until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the olive oil and remaining dressing ingredients to the nuts over low heat and keep warm until ready to serve.
- Make it {even more!} heart-healthy: if you are serving someone on a cardiac/heart-healthy diet, use Morton’s Lite Salt instead of regular salt, sub turkey bacon for the thick-cut bacon, and olive oil for the bacon fat.
- Make it diabetic-friendly: substitute a sugar-free syrup for the maple syrup, and dilute 1/2 of the pomegranate juice with water.
And there you have it! For more Thanksgiving inspiration, check out my dedicated THANKSGIVING page!
Are you ready to get make these Roasted Sprouts and Squash with Warm Pomegranate Bacon Dressing? I’m so excited for you to try this recipe. Once you get the chance to make it, please let me know how it turns out for you! Leave a comment and rate the recipe below. This will help me with the creation of future recipes! I’d also love to feature your creation in my monthly newsletter, so you can upload a photo to Instagram or Twitter with the tag @sweetcayenne5 to be featured!
- 1 pound of Brussels sprouts, cut in half with ends trimmed
- 3 cups diced butternut squash, cut into ½’’ cubes (about 1 ½ pounds)
- Olive oil, salt, and pepper
- 3 slices thick-cut bacon, diced (or turkey bacon)
- ⅓ cup pomegranate juice
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
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Preheat oven to 425℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Place the Brussels sprouts and squash on the baking sheet. Drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Roast until tender, about 20-25 minutes, tossing halfway through the cooking time.
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While the veggies roast, cook the bacon pieces in a skillet over medium heat until crispy. While the bacon is cooking, whisk together the pomegranate juice, cider vinegar, Djion, and maple syrup.
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Once the bacon is cooked, use a slotted spoon to transfer the pieces to a paper towel-lined dish.
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Measure out 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat to keep in the hot skillet (or remove all of the bacon fat and replace with 3 tablespoons of olive oil). Whisk in the pomegranate juice mixture and stir over low heat until heated through. Stir in the pomegranate seeds and bacon pieces. Keep warm until the veggies are done roasting.
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Remove the veggies from the oven and place in a serving bowl. Drizzle the warm pomegranate dressing on top and toss to combine. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition information (based on 8 servings; using turkey bacon results in 165 calories per serving):
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