Happy Thanksgiving week!
It seems like everyone I’ve talked to is just eager to finish up work before taking the rest of the week off. I’ve also been running around doing errands and tying up loose ends with work before the Thanksgiving cooking madness begins. This year I’m visiting a close college friend in Nashville, and she has tasked me with helping her plan the big turkey day feast.
There are some picky eaters in the group, so menu planning is a little tricky, but fortunately we seem to all agree on brussels sprouts. Which is a good thing, because brussels sprouts gets a bad rap from many people who were used to eating them steamed or boiled to mush when they were children, and as adults still have a prejudice against them. I grew up in a Chinese family, so I was spared from eating mushy brussels sprouts as a kid. So when I tried them for the first time in my 20s at a restaurant, roasted with beautiful crispy leaves, I was instantly hooked.
My go-to method for preparing brussels sprouts is just tossing them in copious amounts of olive oil with a generous dusting of salt and freshly ground pepper, then roasting for 20 to 25 minutes. It’s so fool-proof that I haven’t deviated for years. But this year I wanted to get out of the rut and maybe throw in some festive fall touches. And what’s more “fall” than apples and cranberries?
The addition of those two ingredients add some nice color and a bit of sweetness to the dish. This is still a very simple recipe. But when you’re busy preparing a 20-pound turkey, giblet gravy, mashed potatoes, and pies, knowing you have one side dish that is easy and pretty has a miraculously calming effect.
I hope you all have a happy and safe Thanksgiving!
- 1 pound brussels sprouts
- 1 Gala, McIntosh, Fuji, or Empire apple
- Olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Trim the hard ends from the brussels sprouts and cut each in half length-wise. Place the brussels sprouts on one side of a large baking sheet and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper until well-coated.
- Cut the apple into thin, bite-sized slices. Place the apple slices on the other half of the large baking sheet and toss with just olive oil until well-coated.
- Bake the brussels sprouts and apple slices for 2o to 25 minutes, until the brussels sprouts start to crisp on the top and bottom. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer the brussels sprouts and apple slices to a serving dish. Toss with dried cranberries and serve.
More brussels sprouts recipes from fellow bloggers:
- Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Goat Cheese from Domestic Fits
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Orange and Ginger Soy Sauce from Wishful Chef
- Bacon Parmesan Brussels Sprouts from Appetite for China
- Indian Spiced Brussels Sprouts from Fuss Free Cooking
- Brussels Sprouts and Prosciutto Bites from Taste for Adventure
- Balsamic -Glazed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Onion from Jelly Toast
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic and Sesame from The Bite House
- Brussels Sprouts Breakfast Hash from How Sweet It Is
Made these yesterday when I was looking for an easy side to go with a pot roast. They were a hit! Thanks for sharing!
I bookmarked your recipe for Thanksgiving and ended up doing both yours and another recipe for pan-fried brussels sprouts with pecans. (We’re a brussels sprouts loving family!) We didn’t have leftovers of either. Thank you!
Fantastic recipe and photo! Looking forward to trying it.
This was so easy! I never liked brussels sprouts either when I was growing up. But in the past few years I learned to like them more and more in salads and just roasted with lemon. This is a great fall rendition!
Thanks for this recipe. My bf and I made the brussels sprouts last night to go with roast chicken and they were so yum! I’m sending your link to my mom!
I bought some brussels sprouts for tomorrow night. I’ve never made them with roasted apples but it seems like a nice change!