I’ve been seeing so many delicious looking recipes combining roasted butternut squash with Brussels sprouts pop up in my social media feeds. I’ve even shared one to my Facebook page that looked particularly appealing (it included bow-tie pasta), but it wasn’t until my sister showed up to a family dinner with this side dish that I was able to try a fork-full, which of course led to several more fork-fulls!
It’s such a yummy combo and you can add or subtract a variety of things (like the pasta) to tailor it to your taste or the occasion. She opted to skip the pasta, because she knew there would be many other carb-loaded dishes. She also went with toasted pumpkin seeds because although pecans would work beautifully, my daughter (her neice) has a nut allergy and she wanted her to be able to enjoy it as much as anyone.
Here’s her tasty take on this year’s must-do side dish which included dried cranberries (c’raisins), feta cheese crumbles, toasted pumpkin seeds, and a honey-balsamic glaze:
Ingredients:
1 butternut squash peeled, seeded, and trimmed into 1” cubes
1-2 lbs Brussels sprouts, cleaned, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
olive oil
kosher salt
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 - 1 cup roasted pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup (or more!) feta cheese crumbles
for the glaze:
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3 Tablespoons honey (you may also use maple syrup or brown sugar)
Directions:
Toss butternut squash cubes in olive oil and a little kosher salt, then spread out on a baking sheet, being careful not to overcrowd. Roast for 20 minutes in a 400 degree oven.
Do the same with the Brussels sprouts.
While sprouts are roasting, prepare glaze by heating balsamic vinegar in small saucepan over medium-hight heat. Add honey, (or sweetener of choice) and heat through. When combination begins to bubble, turn the heat down to simmer until mixture has reduced by about half and has thickened. Take off heat and set aside.
When the Brussels sprouts have roasted, remove to large bowl and toss with balsamic glaze.
Add dried cranberries and mix well.
The roasted butternut cubes will be soft so to prevent them from falling apart, allow to cool slightly, then fold gently into the glazed Brussels sprouts and cranberries.
Sprinkle mixture with kosher salt to taste.
Top with crumbled feta cheese.
Add pumpkin seeds right before serving.