Another one of my holiday go-to’s, this one takes a bit of labor but it’s worth it.

Getchya mise en place:

• One 32 oz. “family size” bag of Brussels Sprouts (or 2 lb. of bulk fresh)
• One 16 oz. bag of baby cut rainbow carrots
• One 2.8 oz bag of bacon pieces
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt, pepper, garlic powder, whatever spices you want.

Do it:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit.
2. I quarter the baby carrots – one cut long ways, one cut through the middle.
3. I cut the bottom off of the sprouts, remove the outer leaves if they’re not great looking, halve them, and if they’re large, score the middle. (Look close at the photo.)
4. Mix the sprouts, carrots, & bacon pieces in a bowl, add the spices, eyeball in some EVOO & toss to coat it all evenly.
5. Spread evenly on a baking sheet or in a glass dish.
6. Slap them in that oven for 40-ish minutes.

Tips n’ tricks:

• Of course, use whatever spices fit your fancy.
• If you can’t find rainbow carrots, regular ones or parsnips or both are an absolutely awesome addition also.
• Roasting caramelizes the sometimes bitter brussels sprouts. You may find that you prefer them “more” done or “less” done.
• Scoring the middle helps them roast fully or more evenly.
• You can skip the bowl if you can stir it all up and not make a mess like I do.

So, what do you think? Do you like Brussels Sprouts? Do you prepare them a similar or wholly different way?