Lemon Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Now that it's November, I'm setting my sights on Thanksgiving (am I late to the game? I mean, I think all the stores around here put up cornucopias and turkey decorations at 12:01am on November 1st - or even at the same time as they had pumpkins up for Halloween! It's really making me feel inadequate.). And although MIL always takes care of the turkey (whew! Not my cup of tea - I'll stick to roasting a guinea hen or two now and then), I'll be contributing at least one side dish, so I'm keeping my eyes open (perhaps these carrots?).



And these brussels sprouts might just fit the bill. Dark and crunchy in spots, full of meaty flavor, with a nice bit of sweetness from caramelized onions, and a burst of bright lemony flavor to boot.

And super easy too. Just cut up everything, sprinkle a bit of salt, and roast! Doesn't get simpler than that.

And despite the bacon, it at least "feels" healthy - I mean, these are brussels sprouts here! Put one of those on a plate and even an entirely deep fried meal starts looking healthier. It's kind of like broccoli.

In fact, you could even leave the bacon out. But you might need to drizzle a bit of olive oil then. This dish can do without the extra oil because it has all that delicious bacon grease to cook in, but without the bacon you'll need some oil to boost that nice roasty-ness.

Lemon Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients

1 lb brussels sprouts
1/2 lemon
1/4 red onion
2 strips bacon
Salt to taste
1 sprig rosemary (optional)
Parmesan cheese (optional - for grating)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400.

Cut the brussels sprouts into halves (and quarters if they are larger). Cut the bacon into short strips. Roughly chop the red onion and pull apart the layers. Slice half a lemon. Spread all of these out on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. If you want, add a sprig of rosemary on top.

Roast at 400 for 30-35 minutes or until brussels sprouts get nicely browned. Shake pan from time to time so that everything roasts evenly. Serve warm with freshly grated parmesan cheese.