When they said “Eat the rainbow 🌈” they never said that couldn’t include bacon!
Weeknights can be a little crazy to get a meal on the table, let alone one with a side dish or a veggie. Even if I do manage to quickly whip something up with a veggie or two, it seems like I turn around the the dishes behind me in the sink have multiplied. That's why I've really been getting into sheet pan meals. One pan. One meal. Endless possibilities.
For this month's Veggies You Never Thought You'd Love recipe blog post, I wanted to share with you a tried-and-true favorite in our household: 🌈 Rainbow Bacon.
Yes 🌈Rainbow Bacon is packed full of veggies as the name would imply :) Okay in all seriousness the heart of this sheet pan meal is the bacon and you can toss in whatever veggies you have on hand. This recipe started out with onions, Brussels sprouts, and bacon but has morphed into so much more. The recipe below is by far our favorite. How did I come up with it? Honestly I opened up the fridge, freezer, and pantry and asked my toddler which veggies he wanted for supper. His first response was "bacon!" "No, what veggie do you want with your bacon?" :) We came up with the list of veggies below, some of which I knew he wouldn't eat, but as I said in our last post in this series: walk the walk.
This recipe is also a tribute to my dad on this special Father's Day. This man loves his bacon. He had a bumper sticker for several years that said "I love bacon" on it. I'll always remember my dad's love for bacon but also his love for veggies. I remember my parents always including a veggie with our family meals growing up. They modeled for us that eating veggies should be part of supper time. Whether it was a boxed potato mix or steamed Brussels sprouts, they made an effort to get a veggie on the table despite both working full time and having a picky eater like me. So dad, in honor of you, I present 🌈 Rainbow Bacon
🌈Rainbow Bacon
Author: Caitlyn Hanson -- Living Wellness, www.lwgg.org
Servings: 4 servings, double recipe as desired
Category: Entree, Sheet pan meal
Time: Prep- 10 minutes, Bake- 40-50 minutes
Ingredients:
- 8 oz bacon (love it when I can find organic bacon on sale!, pork or turkey bacon works well)
- 1 medium onion or 1-2 cups pearled onion (I use frozen so I don't need to peel them :)
- 2 shallots (optional)
- 7-9 cups of about 1 inch size chunks veggies (we mix and match the following: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, sweet potato, artichoke, asparagus, green beans)
- Seasoning: I do a light sprinkle (less than 1/8 tsp) of turmeric, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp fine ground sea salt, 1 tsp Kirkland No Salt Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin organic olive oil
Instructions:
- Arrange veggies on tray in single layer (okay to overlap some).
- Cut bacon into 1 inch chunks and lay on top veggies in a single layer.
- Drizzle oil and sprinkle salt and seasoning all over veggies and bacon.
- Bake for 40-55 minutes based on how many veggies you have and if you use frozen (more time), canned, or fresh. Stir veggies on the pan at about 30 minutes and then every 5-10 minutes until bacon is crispy. This will help the veggies and bacon to bake evenly.
Healthy Eating Tip for Healthy Families:
Involve Your Kids in Meal Planning
As I mentioned in last month's post, be strategic about when you involve your kids. I don't expect you to plan the whole week's meals with your kiddos. Maybe just start with one or two meals or snacks. Each Saturday, my son has learned that mommy is going to ask him, "Is there anything you'd like to add to the grocery list? What veggie would you like us to try this week?" Sometimes I involve him more in the planning of our meals, sometimes less.
By involving your kiddos in the meal planning process, this gives them a chance to feel a small sense of control over what they will be eating as well as be more mentally prepared for possibly tasting something new. Kids thrive with structure. Giving them a structure for how to anticipate new foods can be a great tool for reducing mealtime battles!
Love this recipe? Share it with a friend! AND share with us your favorite sheet pan meals. Got a favorite veggie dish you created and would like to share? Contact us here about writing a guest blog post!
Love sheet pan meals like this one? Here's a few more tasty sheet pan meals we love from The Kitchn.
Happy cooking and Happy Father's Day!
Caitlyn J. Hanson
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Disclaimer: This article is not intended to diagnose or treat any illnesses or disease. Please always check with your doctor before beginning any new nutritional or fitness program or before making any nutritional/fitness changes.