Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

I can’t believe Thanksgiving is less than a week away! When it comes to Thanksgiving, it’s all about the sides. You’ve gotta have a great stuffing, potatoes of course, and I always love a delicious veggie side dish. One of my favorite go-tos is this super simple and flavor-packed roasted brussels dish with crispy bacon, pumpkin seeds, and a balsamic drizzle to bring it all together. It’s a super tasty way to get in those veggies that the entire family will love!

Here’s What You’ll Need:

• 1 large bundle of brussels sprouts, de-stemmed and sliced

• 4 pieces bacon

• 1/4 red onion, chopped

• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

• 1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

• 1-2 tbsp avocado oil

• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Toss the brussels sprouts in avocado oil, sea salt, and pepper and roast in a preheated 425 degree oven for for 20-25 minutes until browned and crispy.

2. In the meantime, cook up the bacon on the stove top until crispy.

3. Remove the bacon and chop it into small pieces. Remove excess bacon grease from the pan, leaving about 1 tbsp.

4. Cook up chopped red onion and pumpkin seeds for 3-5 minutes in the pan on the stovetop.

5. Once cooked, mix the Brussels sprouts, red onion, pumpkin seeds, and bacon.

6. Serve and top with a drizzle of balsamic. Enjoy!

Let me know what you think in the comments below!

Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Toasted Pecans, and Dried Cranberries

This post is sponsored by Alessi Foods, however, I am sharing my own thoughts. All opinions are my own.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! As the days are getting shorter and the weather is getting colder, I am craving all of the fall and winter flavors and getting more and more excited for the upcoming holiday season. And what’s more perfect for the holidays than a delicious roasted brussels sprouts dish? My favorite winter vegetable paired with the seasonal flavors of dried cranberries and toasted pecans and the most delicious Alessi Organic Balsamic Vinegar, does it get any better?

I love Alessi’s fresh, high-quality, and authentically Italian products. Their Organic Balsamic Vinegar and Himalayan Pink Salt and Black Peppercorn Grinders are just a few of my favorites. They also have delicious pastas, sauces, olive oils, and the list goes on and on. You can use the code STACY for 15% off your Alessi Foods order, AND orders over $20 ship free!

So let’s get to that brussels sprouts recipe, shall we?

Here’s What You’ll Need:

-32 oz brussels sprouts
-1/2 cup raw pecans
-1/4 cup dried cranberries
-4 pieces thick cut bacon
-2-3 tbsp Alessi Organic Balsamic Vinegar
-Alessi Himalayan Pink Salt, ground
-Alessi Black Peppercorns, ground
-2 tbsp avocado oil

Instructions:

1. De-stem and halve the brussels sprouts, toss with the avocado oil, Alessi Himalayan Pink Salt and Black Pepper, and spread out on a baking sheet.

2. Cut the bacon into pieces about 1” thick, and mix with the brussels sprouts.

3. Cook the brussels sprouts and bacon in a preheated 425 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until the brussels sprouts are slightly browned and crispy and the bacon is cooked.

4. In the meantime, toast the pecans in a pan on the stovetop over medium high heat for about 3-5 minutes. You'll start to smell them toasting and want to remove them before they start to burn.

5. Mix the toasted pecans and dried cranberries into the cooked brussels sprouts.

6. Drizzle the mixture with the Alessi Organic Balsamic Vinegar and season with some more Alessi Himalayan Pink Salt and Black Pepper.

7. Serve and enjoy!

Whether you’re whipping this up for Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, or Christmas, this one is sure to be a crowd pleaser! And if anyone is meat-free, you can easily skip the bacon! Trust me, it’s still delicious. My family is half vegans/vegetarians and half meat eaters, so I like to make half and half. Let me know where you’ll be serving this dish and what you think in the comments below, and don’t forget to use the code STACY for 15% off your Alessi Foods order!

Spiralized Zucchini Summer Salad with Balsamic Chicken

If you haven't noticed yet, I'm a huge fan of grilling. I'd probably be just fine (if not really happy) grilling most of my meals. It's pretty simple. You can make a delicious marinade and just let your ingredients soak it up the fridge for a bit before throwing it on the grill, or you can just add some seasoning and throw it on.  Then you flip it over a couple of times, and, voila, a delicious, flavorful meal. Plus, in the meantime, you can prepare whatever else you need for your dish.

As August is creeping by (it's somehow almost half way over), I want to utilize that grill as much as possible. I decided to use another of my favorite tools, the spiralizer, to make a fresh, summer-inspired salad.

Here's what you'll need:

-3 chicken breasts (the nutrition info accounts for 5 oz chicken breasts)
-1 1/2 large or 2 medium sized zucchini, spiralized (I used the ribbon blade but any will do)
-1/2 avocado, cubed
-1 ear of corn
-1/2 large tomato, cubed
-1/8 red onion, chopped
-1 granny smith apple, cubed
-6 tbsp feta

For the marinade:
-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
-2 tbsp spicy brown mustard
-2 tbsp lemon juice
-1 clove of garlic, minced
-A dash of Himalayan sea salt
-A dash of black pepper

For the dressing:
-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
-1 tbsp olive oil
-3 tsp spicy brown mustard
-1/2 clove of garlic, minced
-Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1) Mix all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl or plastic bag, add the chicken, and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes to an hour (the longer the better).
2) Heat up the grill.
3) Peel down the husk of the corn (without removing) and discard of the corn silk. Pull the husk back up to cover the corn, and toss it on the grill. The corn will cook for a total of 20-25 minutes (rotating every 5 minutes or so).
3) After about 5 minutes, add the chicken to the grill. The chicken will cook for about 7 minutes on each side.
4) In the meantime, chop up your ingredients if you haven't already done so, and make the dressing.
5) Remove the chicken and corn from the grill when they are done cooking.
6) Let the chicken sit for about 5 minutes, and then cut it into slices.
7) Cut the corn kernels off the cob.
8) You can either mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl or create individual bowls. I tend to do the latter. Add the raw zucchini noodles. Top them with apple, onion, tomato, avocado, corn, feta, and finally the chicken. Add on some dressing, and enjoy!

The mixture of the raw zucchini plus  the fresh tomatoes, apple, and onion mixed with the grilled chicken and corn is the perfect summer meal. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did, and let me know what you think below! Also feel free to sign up for (free) e-mail updates on new posts.