Sweet and Spicy Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash
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Welcome to Holiday Side Dishes Week! This week we will be sharing some amazing side dishes perfect for all the upcoming holidays. I always find that side dishes are the hardest thing for me to come up with. We tend to have the same holiday side dishes year after year so it’s nice to be able to find some new ones.
A few years ago my brother and his wife took over some of the holiday dinners from my mom. When this changed so did a lot of the side dishes. He tends to have more vegetable side dishes and one of his favorites is Brussels Sprouts. I like Brussels Sprouts too so I’m always on the look out for new ways to make them.
These Sweet and Spicy Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash are an awesome fall or winter side dish. I’m not usually a big fan of butternut squash but the sweetness works well with the spiciness of the dish. In addition to the vegetables this side dish has pecans for crunch and goat cheese for creaminess.
The sweetness comes from pure maple syrup and make sure you use the real thing, imitation of maple flavored isn’t going to work here. The spiciness comes from cayenne pepper which you can tailor to your specific tastes. The first time I made this dish I forgot the bacon and you could really tell something was missing. It needed the saltiness of the bacon to balance out the sweetness.
Once I had all the ingredients together this was an amazing side dish that would be great for any holiday. The colors are bright and it’s just a pretty dish. Plus there are so many flavors going on but they work well together so not one overpowers another. It’s definitely a great side to try for the holidays this year!
Sweet and Spicy Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Brussels Sprouts halved
- 4 c. butternut squash cubed
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper more or less to taste
- 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon more or less to taste
- salt and pepper
- 4 strips bacon cooked and crumbled
- 1/3 c. dried cranberries
- 1/2 c. toasted pecans chopped
- 1/3 c. goat cheese
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Place the Brussels Sprouts and butternut squash on a large baking sheet.
- In a small bowl combine the olive oil, maple syrup, garlic, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon.
- Pour the olive oil mixture over top of the vegetables and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Bake for 15 minutes then remove from the oven, toss, return to the oven, and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and pour the vegetables into a serving bowl. Add in the bacon, cranberries, pecans, and goat cheese. Toss to combine.
- Drizzle the balsamic vinaigrette over top and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Check out all the fabulous holiday side dishes:
- Apple Butter from Simply Inspired Meals
- Creamed Spinach from Palatable Pastime
- Honey-Whiskey Glazed Sweet Potatoes from Kate’s Recipe Box
- Mac and Cheese Muffins from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Pumpkin Biscuits from Our Good Life
- Roasted Butternut Squash and Apples from Sweet Beginnings
- Slow Cooker Cheesy Green Bean Casserole from Blogghetti
- Smoked Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese from The Spiffy Cookie
- Sweet and Spicy Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Sweet Potato Souffle from Renee’s Kitchen Adventures
- Yellow Squash and Zucchini Casserole from Cheese Curd in Paradise
The goat cheese, the maple, and the bit of spice sounds like an amazing flavor combination! I would love to have these on my table!
Love that I have another recipe for Brussels sprouts and I have some of the spicy/sweet pecans left, too.
Two of my favorite veggies and I still have some sweet and spicy pecans from Millican that would be perfect in this dish.