When I saw these ingredients for a holiday side dish, I was in! I love all separately but together seems like a win/win especially for those who shy away from brussel sprouts. It is actually such an easy dish to make and the ingredients are easy to find already prepped. This is the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving or the December and New Years holidays! Your picky ones may even love it with the maple syrup and cinnamon softening the flavor of the brussel sprouts…
You can find the brussel sprouts and butternut squash already cut up at most markets, which makes it really easy. Butternut squash is one of my least favorites to prep as the outer skin is so hard as well as the squash itself. You can find them cut up at Sprouts, Trader Joe’s, Bristol Farms, Pavillions, etc. The brussel sprouts need to be halved, so if you can’t find them halved just buy the whole and trim, cut off the ends, pull off loose or yellow leaves and cut in half. The shredded won’t work as they will cook faster than the squash and won’t have the same flavor.
You can buy the pecans and cranberries in the bulk section at your market or in the baking section. Make sure the cranberries aren’t too dried out and that they look colorful!
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and follow directions below. You can roast both the brussel sprouts and the butternut squash at the same time, just don’t overcook either as you don’t want either to be too mushy and they will have a different flavor and color. Adding the cinnamon and maple syrup to the butternut squash gives the dish a special holiday flavor!
ROASTED BRUSSEL SPROUTS AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH CRANBERRIES AND PECANS
Serves 6
Ingredients:
Brussel Sprouts:
3 cups brussel sprouts, halved, trimmed
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt to taste
Butternut Squash:
4 cups uncooked butternut squash cut into ½ inch or 1 inch cubes ( about 1 ½ lb. squash)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Additional:
2 cups pecan halves
1 cup dried cranberries
2-4 tablespoons maple syrup ( optional)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Roasted Brussel Sprouts:
Grease the baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
In medium bowl, combine brussel sprouts, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and salt. Toss to combine.
Place cut side down on baking sheet, and roast at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. During last 5-10 minutes turn over to brown evenly. The cut sides should be nicely colored but not blackened.
Roasted Butternut Squash:
Grease another baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
In a medium bowl, toss cubed butternut squash, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, maple syrup, and cinnamon.
Place mixture on single layer on baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, turning once halfway thru baking until softened.
*** You can roast both brussel sprouts and butternut squash at same time.
When both are done roasting, let sit for 15 minutes to cool.
In a large bowl, combine brussel sprouts, butternut squash, pecans and cranberries. For additional optional sweetness, add 2-4 tablespoons of maple syrup.
This recipe tastes great warm or room temperature. ***Option to sprinkle goat cheese or crumbled bacon for a different take on this tasty side dish! Enjoy!