Roasted Vegetable And Bacon Hash
A hearty sheet-pan hash of caramelized sweet potato and Brussels sprouts crisped with smoky bacon, diced onion, and kale, finished with garlic and fresh thyme.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
This is a warm, one-pan supper for anyone who wants a plate built around vegetables without feeling like they are eating a side dish for dinner. Sweet potato gives it body, Brussels sprouts and kale bring green heartiness, and bacon threads smoky, salty richness through every bite. Because it all cooks on a single sheet pan, it suits busy weeknights and hands-off cooking, and it reheats well enough to carry into lunch the next day.
The dense things go in first and the rest catch up. Starting the dense sweet potato and Brussels sprouts first gives them the full time they need to caramelize and turn tender, while adding the bacon and onion partway through lets the rendered fat baste the vegetables instead of burning. The kale goes in last so it wilts and crisps at the edges rather than turning to dust. Turning the sprouts cut-side down against the hot pan is what gives you that deep, browned face that tastes almost nutty.
Soft sweet potato runs up against crisp-edged sprouts and kale, with the savory crunch of the bacon tying it together. Sweet potato and kale bring fiber and color, the vegetables carry a broad range of vitamins and minerals, and the bacon delivers enough protein and fat to make the meal filling. It is the kind of dish that feels cozy and indulgent while still being mostly plants.
Ingredients
- 2 sweet potatoes, cubed
- 4 cups Brussels sprouts, halved
- 5 slices bacon, chopped
- 3 cups chopped kale
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme
Instructions
- Preheat and prep the vegetables: Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Scrub the sweet potatoes and cut them into even bite-sized cubes so they cook at the same rate. Trim the stem ends off the Brussels sprouts and halve each one through the root. Peel and dice the onion, mince the garlic, and strip the thyme leaves from their stems.
- Roast the sweet potato and sprouts: On a large rimmed sheet pan, toss the sweet potato cubes and halved Brussels sprouts with the olive oil, minced garlic, and thyme leaves until evenly coated. Spread them in a single layer, turning the sprouts cut-side down for better browning, and roast for 20 minutes.
- Chop and add the bacon and onion: While the vegetables roast, chop the bacon into small pieces. After the 20 minutes, add the chopped bacon and diced onion to the pan, stir to combine, and return to the oven for about 10 minutes, until the bacon is rendered and beginning to crisp and the onion softens.
- Add the kale: Remove the tough center ribs from the kale and roughly chop the leaves. Add the kale to the pan, stir it into the hot vegetables and bacon fat, and roast for about 5 minutes, until the kale wilts and its edges turn crisp.
- Toss and serve: Take the pan from the oven and toss everything together so the bacon fat and crisped bits coat the vegetables, which is where the seasoning in this pan comes from. Taste and serve hot.
Variations
- Maple-thyme finish: Drizzle a little pure maple syrup over the pan when you add the kale for a sweet-savory glaze that plays off the bacon; this adds sugar.
- Apple and onion: Toss in cubes of firm tart apple along with the onion for pockets of sweetness and a softer bite among the crisp vegetables.
- Butternut instead of sweet potato: Swap cubed butternut squash for the sweet potato for a slightly less sweet, silkier roasted vegetable base.
- Sausage and bacon: Add crumbled cooked breakfast sausage along with the bacon for a meatier, more filling hash; this adds extra meat. Check the label to keep it free of nightshade spices and seed-based spices.
- Garlic-herb boost: Stir in extra fresh thyme and a handful of chopped fresh sage or rosemary with the garlic for a more woodsy, aromatic profile.
Storage & Leftovers
Cool any leftovers to room temperature and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where the hash keeps well for up to four days. The sweet potato will soften slightly as it sits, but the flavor deepens.
To reheat and bring back some crispness, spread the hash on a sheet pan or in a hot skillet over medium-high heat rather than using the microwave. A few minutes of dry heat re-crisps the bacon and the edges of the sprouts and kale; a microwave will warm it through but leave everything soft.
To get ahead, cube the sweet potato, halve the Brussels sprouts, dice the onion, and chop the kale up to a day in advance and refrigerate them in separate containers. With the prep done, the dish comes together as fast as the oven can roast it.
Notes & Tips
- Cut for even cooking: Keep the sweet potato cubes on the smaller side and roughly the same size; oversized pieces stay raw in the center while the sprouts finish, and mismatched sizes are the most common reason a sheet-pan hash cooks unevenly.
- Do not crowd the pan: Give the vegetables room in a single layer. If they are piled up they steam and go soft instead of browning, so use a second sheet pan if your batch looks crowded.
- Choose firm sprouts: Pick Brussels sprouts that are tight, bright green, and heavy for their size; loose or yellowing leaves signal age and a stronger, more sulfurous smell as they cook.
- Adjust for your bacon: Bacon varies a lot in saltiness, so leave any seasoning until the end and taste before you add it, especially if your bacon is a salt-cured, thicker cut.
- Bacon fat is the seasoning: When you toss everything at the end, scrape up the rendered bacon fat and browned bits from the pan and coat the vegetables with them; that is where most of the flavor lives.
- Massage the kale option: If you like your kale less chewy, rub the chopped leaves with a little of the olive oil before they go on the pan to soften them slightly as they roast.
Nutrition & Mindful Eating
- The sweet potato, the sprouts and the bacon are doing three different jobs on one pan. The potato goes soft and sweet, the sprouts crisp and turn slightly bitter at the edges, and the bacon threads smoke through both, so fiber and protein arrive in the same forkful.
- Sweet potato is the ingredient that turns a tray of vegetables into dinner. High heat concentrates its sugars until the edges caramelize, and the deep orange running all the way through the cubes is beta-carotene, arriving with the sweetness.
- Brussels sprouts give you two textures at once, papery browned outer leaves and a tender center, and the loose leaves that fall onto the pan crisp up on their own. They bring fiber and vitamin C along with that faintly nutty bitterness.
- Kale goes in near the end so it crisps rather than wilts, and garlic and fresh thyme roast down into something mellow and almost sweet. The smell fills the kitchen well before the pan comes out.
- Bacon and olive oil give the hash its richness, and a plate of this holds you for a long stretch. The protein is doing most of that work, and the fat is what carries the thyme and garlic into every bite.
- As you eat, notice how differently each piece behaves, the soft sweet potato, the crackling sprout leaves, the smoky bacon, and give yourself long enough at the table to feel the meal settle rather than eating it over the pan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this ahead for meal prep?
Yes. It holds up well in the refrigerator for up to four days and packs neatly into containers for lunches. Reheat it in a hot skillet or on a sheet pan rather than the microwave to bring back the crisp edges on the sprouts and bacon.
My vegetables came out soft instead of crisp. What went wrong?
The usual culprit is a crowded pan. When the vegetables are piled up they release steam and braise instead of roasting. Spread them in a single layer with space between the pieces, use two pans if needed, and make sure your oven is fully preheated to 425°F (220°C) before the pan goes in.
Do I need to peel the sweet potatoes?
No. The skin is thin, edible, and holds extra fiber, so a good scrub is enough. If you prefer a softer texture or the skins look tough, peel them, but it is not required.
How do I keep the kale from burning or drying out?
Add it only for the last few minutes and stir it into the hot bacon fat so it coats the leaves. That short roast wilts the kale and crisps the edges without turning it to ash; adding it earlier is what dries it out.