Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Cinnamon Butternut Squash with Pecans and Cranberries

Ingredients

Roasted Brussels Sprouts:

  • 3 cups Brussels sprouts ends trimmed, yellow leaves removed

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1/4 teaspoon Salt to taste

Roasted Butternut Squash:

  • 1 1/2 lb butternut squash peeled, seeded, and cubed into 1-inch cubes (Yields about 4 cups of uncooked cubed butternut squash)

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup

  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Other Ingredients:

  • 2 cups pecan halves

  • 1 cup dried cranberries

  • 2-4 tablespoons maple syrup optional

Instructions

How to roast Brussels Sprouts:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 F.  Lightly grease the foil-lined baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

  2. Trim ends of Brussels sprouts  and remove yellow leaves. 

  3. Then, slice all Brussels sprouts in half. 

  4. In a medium bowl, combine halved Brussels sprouts, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt (to taste), and toss to combine. 

  5. Place onto a foil-lined baking sheet, cut side down, and roast in the oven at 400 F for about 20-25 minutes. During the last 5-10 minutes of roasting, turn them over for even browning, the cut sides should be nicely and partially charred but not blackened (see my photos).

How to roast Butternut Squash:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly grease the foil-lined baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

  2. In a medium bowl, combine cubed butternut squash (peeled and seeded),1 tablespoon of olive oil, maple syrup, and cinnamon, and toss to mix.

  3. Place butternut squash in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning once half-way through baking, until softened.

  4. Note: You can roast both Brussels sprouts and butternut squash on 2 separate baking sheets at the same time, on the same rack in the oven – that’s what I did.

How to toast pecans:

  1. Toast pecans in the preheated oven at 350 F

  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

  3. Toast the pecans for about 5 minutes (maybe a bit longer) in the preheated oven at 350 F until they get darker in color.  

  4. Note: pecans burn really fast, so make sure to check the nuts after 5 minutes and frequently afterwords. 

Assembly:

  1. In a large bowl, combine roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted butternut squash, pecans, and cranberries, and mix to combine. 

  2. (OPTIONAL): For more sweetness, add 2 or 4 tablespoons of maple syrup, if desired – do not add all maple syrup at once, start with 2 tablespoons, then add more, if desired, and toss with the salad ingredients to combine.

Recipe from juliasalbum