These Sweet and Smoky Roasted Carrots and Apples with Bacon are special enough to serve for Thanksgiving or Christmas, but deliciously addicting enough to eat ALL year round. This season, I’ve already made them twice. And I’m planning on making them again. Considering how busy this time of year is, that’s saying something.
Believe me, if you like smoky cumin and maple flavors, you’re going to love this side dish. I’m always a big fan of sweet and savory combos, and this one checks off both of those boxes. But not in a hamburger wrapped in a doughnut kind of way…in case you were thinking along those lines. That’s weird. Why would anyone eat a hamburger wrapped in a doughnut?
But I digress. Aside from how tasty these Sweet and Smoky Roasted Carrots and Apples with Bacon are, the best part of this side dish is how ridiculously simple it is to make. It requires a little bit of prep work and then you just throw them in the oven and stir once. You don’t even have to oil the baking sheet (the bacon does that for you, naturally). It’s the little things, right? And when it’s Thanksgiving or another holiday, it’s those little timesavers that really count.
the process
For a recipe as simple as this, I want to call out a few quick tips that will make this dish even tastier and easier (and likely apply to similar recipes going forward):
Use seasonal and organic produce (when you can). When you have just three main ingredients, there’s not a lot of room to hide bland flavors. So for the produce you use in this recipe, make sure that you’re getting the freshest when possible. Choosing produce that’s in season is going to give you the most bang for your buck and the most flavor. I used two big juicy apples and a bunch of organic rainbow carrots for this recipe, and there’s a big difference.
Thick cut bacon is your friend when it comes to roasting. Because I’m addicted to buying groceries at Costco, I used their Kirkland brand thick cut bacon for this recipe, and I have no regrets about that. It’s delicious. That tangent aside, thick cut bacon won’t disintegrate into puny bacon bits after roasting it for 35 minutes. It has a nice amount of fat in it that will coat your veggies pretty perfectly, but you’ll still have a lot of bacon left.
Chop your veggies and bacon into the SAME SIZE. This is one of those rules of thumb that I’ve learned from roasting about 175 different pans of veggies. I love roasting veggies, but when the veggies are varying sizes and shapes, they roast differently. If you dice all of your ingredients similarly, they’ll cook at roughly the same speed. That way, you don’t have to worry about biting into a squishy tomato and then a raw carrot. Not that it’s happened to me before.
So there you have it, another simple, fabulous side dish that’s all grain-free, refined sugar-free and SO tasty. Make this for your next Friendsgiving, Thanksgiving, or just because, and it will be a hit. For more Thanksgiving winners, check out my Gluten-Free Italian Sausage and Cornbread Stuffing, Grain-Free Almond Flour and Herb Biscuits and Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pine Nuts and Garlic.
Sweet and Smoky Roasted Carrots and Apples with Bacon
Smoky cumin and maple sugar make this quick and comforting side dish a crowd pleaser. And with just 3 main ingredients and a couple pantry staples, this grain-free and refined sugar-free dish is a winner for any holiday dinner.
Ingredients
- 6-8 large rainbow carrots, halved and diced (Standard carrots are also fine here.)
- 2 large apples, diced (I use sweeter apples, like Gala or Fuji, versus green)
- 6 pieces thick cut bacon, diced
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp maple sugar
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
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Toss all ingredients together on a large baking sheet, making sure that carrots and apples are coated with the spices
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Bake for 20 minutes
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Take pan out of oven to turn baking sheet and toss ingredients together again
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Bake for an additional 15 minutes
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Serve immediately or store in a covered casserole dish and reheat when ready to serve