Brussels sprouts are a funny vegetable, like full heads of cabbage perfectly miniaturized. I do not come from a family of picky eaters. I was taught early on to be adventurous and eat what was put in front of me. We traveled a lot and I have had the privilege of experiencing everything from lamb in Greece to freshly caught fish in Bermuda. That being said, everyone has their dislikes. I, for example, cannot stand mushrooms and olives. My mother can’t stand Brussels sprouts. This was a joke in my house growing up because my mother was the cook so the few things she didn’t like, we did not eat. She has actually come around to these strange mini cabbages in recent years much to the family’s pleasure since we all enjoy the unique veggie.
Brussels sprouts are a cooler weather veggie that flourishes in the fall. They are super nutritious, as they are a great source of vitamin C and vitamin K as well as folate, vitamin B6 and fiber. It is very likely that you will be spotting little clusters of sprouts in your farmer’s market stalls in the weeks to come, which is great because all things fall-related are amazing!
Fall is far and away my favorite season in terms of food. Apples, pumpkins, squash, cinnamon and cranberries are truly amazing and I am basically obsessed. So, for this recipe I decided to celebrate the seasonal nature of the Brussels sprout and pair it with a couple of other fall favorites: cranberries and maple syrup. This dish is the perfect complement to a roasted chicken or turkey and some mashed sweet potatoes possibly followed by a steaming apple crisp… did I mention that I love fall?
So, if you are bored with your current vegetable rotation and looking for a way to embrace the flavors of the season I hope this delicious dish will satisfy your cravings and impress your guests throughout the fall and holiday season!
Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries
Ingredients:
2-1/2 cups of Brussels Sprouts
¾ cups of fresh or frozen cranberries
4 TBS Maple Syrup
2 pinches of salts
¼ tsp of ground ginger
¼ tsp of garlic powder
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Add your Brussels sprouts and cranberries to a large mixing bowl. In a smaller bowl combine your maple syrup and spices. Pour the maple syrup mix over the sprouts and toss to coat. Spread your sprouts and cranberries on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for 20-30 mins, or until tender, stirring half way through.
Are you a lover or hater of Brussels sprouts?
Marcia says
While vacationing in New Mexico I went to a greek restaurant and the side dish was brussel sprouts, with sweet potato cubes and cranberries all mixed together. It was outstanding, and I want to do this at home for my family, as they have never had brussel sprouts before, (in fact that was my first time and I fell in love with them!) I’m not a great cook, I rely on others to teach me and I really need a recipe to follow. Do you think I could add sweet potatoes to this dish? Should I up the other ingredients such as maple syrup and spices? thanks!
Samantha says
Marcia, you could certainly add sweet potato cubes to this recipe. You wouldn’t even need to increase the other ingredients at all. I would recommend adding about 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup of cubed sweet potatoes to the current recipe. I’m sure it would be delicious.
Marcia says
Thank you!
Crystal says
Would frozen brussels sprouts work for this recipe?
T.M. Anderson says
The last part of the recipe seems to be missing. How long to you bake them for?
Thanks!
Samantha says
Thank you for bringing that to my attention, I’m not sure where the rest of those directions went! I have updated the recipe, but roast the sprouts for 20-30 minutes or until tender and stir half way through.