THIS is veggie perfection – honey thyme roasted root vegetables with bacon. A sweet, honey glaze infused with lemon and fresh thyme, topped with bacon and swirled into roasted carrots, sweet potatoes, and beets. It’s perfection in the side dish world.
Once upon a time my husband never ate vegetables. In fact, if I even uttered the word ‘beets’, his head spun around like the exorcist. But today I’m proudly reporting he’s converted into a veggie-lover. And even more shocking, a beet FEEN.
You see, vegetables are kind of a marriage deal-breaker (at least if you’re a foodie). How will we survive family dinners if you won’t eat vegetables? How will our kids not grow up to be serial killers if you don’t set an example eating leafy greens? I don’t understand how we’ll get through the fall and winter season if you won’t inhale root vegetables the way I do. These are all deep, deep issues to consider when marrying someone.
But like most things (except our choice in rivalry football teams, his deep love of all-day golf outings and my deep love of The Real Housewives binge-fests), we worked it out. All is perfect in the world, all is well.
And like our perfect marriage (HA!), this honey thyme roasted root vegetables with bacon dish is 110% can-do-no-wrong. It’s perfection, and will make any veggie-hater gleefully savor every single bite. If it can save marriages, it can do anything.
Ok maybe I’m being a tad dramatic, but this dish just really fills my heart with love. Truly, it’s a-flippin’-mazing.
The sweet yet subtle honey glaze is infused with hints of lemon and fresh thyme, with the God-gifted delicacy of bacon sprinkled in. It’s pretty much the best thing that’s ever happened to roasted root veggies. Much like how husband felt when he married me…right honey? RIGHT?! (smile and say right).
The recipe is a cinch, the glaze is fool-proof, and the veggies are everything. Kids, picky husbands, and even veggie-haters will love this honey thyme roasted root vegetables with bacon. It might even be my FAVORITE veggie side dish ever.
Throwing a scoop or two of these veggies on your plate with squeaky clean main dishes like these ones listed is the perfect way to finish the evening! Check out the following recipes: Italian turkey kale roll ups, Whole30 baked buffalo chicken meatballs, A1 inspired slow cooker beef roast, Whole30 slow cooker pork carnitas.
Honey Thyme Roasted Root Vegetables with Bacon
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 8 medium carrots
- 2 medium sweet potatoes
- 4 medium beets
- 1–2 tablespoons olive or avocado oil
- 6 ounces bacon
- 1/4 cup raw honey
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 heaping tablespoon fresh thyme + more to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Peel the carrots, sweet potatoes, and beets
- Cut the carrots at a diagonal angle, into fourths, then cut the beets and sweet potatoes into 2″ pieces
- Place the vegetables on a large baking sheet, keeping the same category of vegetables on a separate part of the baking sheet. You may have to use two baking sheets
- Drizzle the vegetables with olive or avocado oil to lightly coat and place into the oven
- Roast the sweet potatoes for roughy 25 minutes, carrots for 35 minutes, and beets for 50-55 minutes, until all the vegetables are softened and slightly charred
- As the vegetables are roasting, dice the bacon into small pieces. Heat a large pan over medium, then add the bacon
- Fry for roughly 5 minutes, then flip the pieces and fry an additional 3 minutes, until bacon is slightly crispy. Remove from the pan.
- Gently blog most of the grease from the pan, leaving it lightly coated with bacon grease. Turn the heat to low
- Add the honey, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and fresh thyme to the pan. Mix until combined and add the diced, cooked bacon. Turn the heat off and leave the contents in the pan
- Once the root vegetables are complete, place them into a large serving dish and pour the honey and bacon mixture on top. Mix to coat all the vegetables and add more fresh thyme to garnish
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