This was my contribution to both our Paleo Thanksgiving and my family ‘Thanksgiving dinner. I had several non-Paleo family members ask for the recipe, so in my mind that makes it a winner. I would eat this dish anytime, but it is especially suited for holiday gatherings. This recipe can also be tweaked quite a bit after you get the hang of it & it doesn’t have any strange ingredients, so I think it is a great one, even for someone who isn’t that comfortable in the kitchen.
This recipe is based off the Brussels Sprouts Slaw recipe that is in Paleo Comfort Foods. This is my favorite cookbook to go through when trying to find ideas to serve my non-Paleo family. I grew up in the Midwest on a farm, so although we aren’t Southern our preferred style of food is Home Cookin’. This particular cookbook is the closest in style to how I grew up cooking and eating. (Paleo Biscuits & Gravy, anyone?) It is a cookbook that is worth your bookshelf space.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Bacon & Cranberry Salad
- 1/2 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled into small pieces (Maybe more? More bacon is always good, right?)
- 1/4 cup Dijon mustard (Grey Poupon or Trader Joe’s Whole Grain Dijon Mustard)
- 4-5 Tbsp vinegar (apple cider or fruit infused vinegar work well here)
- 1/4 cup olive oil + 2-3 Tbsps for roasting
- pepper to taste
- 1-2 lbs Brussels sprouts, trimmed
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Slice Brussels Sprouts into “slaw”. You can do this with a knife, or with a disk in your food processor. Trader Joe’s often carries Brussels Sprouts in a bag, already sliced for you! Also, if you wanted to just quarter the Brussels Sprouts, this recipe would turn out just fine.
- Scatter Brussels Sprouts out onto a baking sheet and toss with olive oil or leftover bacon drippings. Spread out evenly. Roast in oven until they start to brown. (Hint: My family seems to like Brussels Sprouts a little more “well done” than other vegetables.)
- Meanwhile, whisk mustard, vinegar & lemon juice in a small bowl.
- To complete the dressing, whisk in olive oil and season with pepper.
- Add roasted Brussels Sprouts to a large bowl. Toss with dressing. Add bacon and cranberries and give a final stir.
- Serve warm, but also delicious at room temperature.
Variations:
- You can saute the Brussels Sprouts in the bacon drippings if you wish. The original recipe is written like that, but after making it several times, my sister & I agreed that we liked it better roasted on the baking sheet.
- You can play around with the mustard, vinegar & oils in the dressings. As long as the amounts stay close to the same to keep the oil/acid ratio. My favorite version was using Grey Poupon mustard, olive oil & a Balsam Pear vinegar that I had purchased for my Mom at a fancy oil & vinegar shop. However, it turns out great when I just use Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar as well. Lemon juice could be substituted for part of the vinegar. I think that using a walnut oil in place of part of the olive oil would be yummy!
- If your family isn’t crazy about Brussels sprouts, this is where the more bacon thing comes in handy to win them over!
- Chopped apples, chopped apricots, toasted nuts & pomegranate seeds could also be added to this salad.
- Make it your own!
- This recipe is very easily doubled to take to a potluck. Just requires more chopping!
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