Can you name a better duo than Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes? Didn't think so.
These sheet pan roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes are a match made in culinary heaven, giving all that sweet, salty, and crunchy energy. Plus, we ramp up the flavor profiles with crispy pancetta and a generous (okay, a heaping) pinch of fresh grated parmesan. This serves all the fall vibes on one sheet pan, and I'm pretty sure you're gonna need to save this one for weeknight cooking.
The edges of both the Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes get perfectly golden, the pancetta adds a rich, savory bite, and the parmesan cheese adds that salty, briny-ish flavor. It's simple, cozy, and a perfect side that holds its own next to any mains.
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Morgan's Recipe Review
- Prep Time: This recipe really relies on preparation of the Brussels sprouts, the sweet potato, and pan searing the pancetta. This will take up half the time of the entire recipe. You'll need about 10ish minutes to trim the Brussels sprouts, dice the sweet potato, and as the veggies roast, you'll sauté the pancetta.
- Cook Time: The veggies roast in just about 25 minutes.
- Taste: I am TELLING (basically yelling) you, this recipe hits all the flavors of salty, sweet, umami, savory, creamy, cheesy, and with just the right amount of spice from the cracked black pepper.
- Best Served With: You can round out an entire weeknight dinner pairing this with creamy tuscan chicken or classic chicken Francese. I also recommend keeping things simple with a hearty beef and bean chili in the crockpot or a slow cooker white bean chicken chili.
Trusted Tips & Reminders
- Trim the Brussels sprouts, but also remember to slice them in half. Sometimes leaving them whole will make the insides taste slightly bitter. Slicing them in half lets them steam and roast as they are in the oven, alleviating the bitter taste inside.
- Keep the skin on the sweet potatoes! There's a lot of nutrients there, and it helps the potato from becoming too mushy.
- Use a generous amount of olive oil to season the vegetables before roasting.
- Do not crowd the sheet pan when adding the vegetables as crowding will. cause the vegetables to steam versus roast, and we want some char and crispy Brussels and potatoes.
The Main Ingredients
- Brussels Sprouts - Brussels sprouts are a wonderful cooler weather vegetable to cook with as it is very versatile and easy to prep. Bake, sauté, roast, air fry, you name it, it can be done.
- Sweet Potatoes - Traditional jewel sweet potatoes are naturally sweet, have a soft mouthfeel, and roast for the same duration as brussels sprouts. Plus, when paired together, it's a delicious combination of sweet, savory, and creamy all in one.
- Pancetta - The saltiness of the pancetta adds another layer of flavor to the roasted vegetables.
- Olive Oil - Neutral oil like olive oil works really well to roast both vegetables as well as sautéing the pancetta on the stove. You could also opt for avocado or canola oil.
- Parmesan Cheese - Freshly grated parmesan cheese is the final touch on this recipe as it adds a final layer of creaminess, a little tang, and sharpness to the veggies along with the pancetta.
Be sure to check out the recipe card at the end of this post for more information about quantities, measurements, and specific cooking instructions.
Step by Step Process Photos
Step 1: Rinse and pat dry the sweet potato and the brussels sprouts. Trim the ends of the brussels sprouts, then slice each in half. For the potatoes, slice into thick rounds, then dice into quartered cubes. Add to prep bowls.
Step 2: Preheat the oven to 375º.
Combine the brussels sprouts and potatoes in a large bowl. Drizzle olive oil and add the salt and pepper. Toss to combine and fully coat. Pour into a sheet pan and roast for 25 minutes.
Step 3: Bring a medium frying pan to a medium heat. Add a teaspoon of oil, then pour in the pancetta. Cook and sauté the pancetta until the pancetta becomes golden brown and crispy, approximately 7-8 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Step 4: Once the vegetables are finished roasting, let cool for five minutes, then combine in one large bowl. Top with pancetta and grate fresh parmesan cheese on top. Toss to combine and serve.
Simple Swaps and Substitutions
- You don't need to use pancetta. If you want to omit entirely, feel free, otherwise you can use bacon bits or even crispy prosciutto.
- To ramp up the sweetness, use a little drizzle of balsamic glaze on top, then toss to combine.
- If you'd like to use regular baby potatoes to roast, you can swap the sweet potatoes for baby potatoes instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can add the remainder of the Brussels and sweet potato to an airtight container and place in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat, you can add to an air fryer for 7-10 minutes at 325º to warm up, or pop them in the microwave. The microwave will soften it rather than crisping the veggies up.
Nope, just simply trim the Brussels sprouts and slice them in half. The same goes for the sweet potatoes. Slice into ¼" rounds then dice them into smaller cubes or chunks.
I like using a traditional yellow or orange sweet potato (they're also known as jewel potatoes or even yams), but regular potatoes or Japanese sweet potatoes would work great too.
Hungry for More?
Check out these other incredible vegetable recipes!
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Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes
Equipment
- sheet pan
- large mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Brussels Sprouts
- 1 large Sweet Potato
- 3 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
- 4 oz Pancetta
- 2 oz Parmesan Cheese Grated
Instructions
- Rinse and pat dry the sweet potato and the brussels sprouts. Trim the ends of the brussels sprouts, then slice each in half. For the potatoes, slice into thick rounds, then dice into quartered cubes. Add to prep bowls.
- Preheat the oven to 375º. Combine the brussels sprouts and potatoes in a large bowl. Drizzle olive oil and add the salt and pepper. Toss to combine and fully coat. Pour into a sheet pan and roast for 25 minutes.
- Bring a medium frying pan to a medium heat. Add a teaspoon of oil, then pour in the pancetta. Cook and sauté the pancetta until the pancetta becomes golden brown and crispy, approximately 7-8 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Once the vegetables are finished roasting, let cool for five minutes, then combine in one large bowl. Top with pancetta and grate fresh parmesan cheese on top. Toss to combine and serve.
Jackie says
Test drove this for the holidays and it was PERFECT! Super easy, with great flavor. I’ll be making this for thanksgiving!