Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Acorn Squash
After I was done reinventing the classic that is Egg-in-the-Hole last week, I was left with a surplus of acorn squash.
For me, there was no better way to use it up than by making one of my top favorite side dishes, one that you could almost be certain to find in my fridge at any given time. For seriously, I must whip up a batch of roasted veggies like this one at least 2 to 3 times a month.
I just roast ’em up then pop ’em in the fridge and they’ll last me all week.
I find them just so convenient to have around: you can simply reheat them and enjoy them as a side, or toss them into existing dishes for a quick veggie boost.
I think I particularly enjoy them for breakfast, alongside scrambled eggs and homemade sauerkraut or mixed right into an omelet. Sometimes, too, I’ll just pan fry a little bit of ground beef or leftover meat and throw a little bit of these roasted veggies right in to create some kind of an instant hash.
I might also have been seen adding a few spoonfuls to finished stews… what can I say, I like my vegetables, and I have a particularly soft spot for Brussels Sprouts.
Preparation for this dish couldn’t be easier and will only require a few minutes of your time. Simply prep your veggies, throw them in a large mixing bowl, add the “flavor pack” and mix well.
Throw that right onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and place in the oven for 40 to 45 minutes.
Ideally, you want to make sure that you get a baking sheet that’s large enough so that you can fit the whole batch in a single layer.
After 45 minutes, your house will smell amazing and you will have a fantastic dish that you can either serve immediately with your favorite side of protein (extra points if you drizzle some more healthy fat over it, such as ghee or coconut oil), or store in the fridge and reheat as needed over the course of the week.
Of course, you can change up the veggie composition some and play with the ingredients. Use sweet potatoes or butternut squash instead of acorn, add jicama, turnips, carrots or apples, even.
Replace the dates with figs or raisins, sub walnuts or cashews for the pecans.
A little bit of honey does wonders for this. I bet maple syrup would be fantastic too!
And if you’re a fan of heat, don’t be afraid to add more chili flakes, or use any other hot chili that you like. My personal favorites include smoked chipotle and ancho.
Feel free to play with the spices, too. Garam masala, spicy curry and sweet paprika, work really well with this. Next time, I think I’ll try cumin. Bet it’s fantastic!
This is a recipe that you can really have fun with and I bet that it will soon become one of your favorites too, if it isn’t already!
Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Acorn Squash
Ingredients
- 400 g acorn squash, peeled and diced (1 small, about 3 cups)
- 600 g Brussels sprouts, cut half (about 4 cups)
- 100 g pecans, chopped (1 cup)
- 150 g dates, chopped (1 cup)
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped
- ¾ tsp Himalayan or fine sea salt
- 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 tbsp Dijon Mustard
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp dried chili flakes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the Brussels sprouts, squash, pecans and dates and set aside.
- In a smaller mixing bowl, or in a small food processor, combine fresh rosemary, salt, pepper, mustard, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, garlic, cinnamon, nutmeg and chili powder and whisk (or process) until all the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Pour that over the reserved vegetables and mix until well combined.
- Transfer the veggies into the prepared baking sheet and bake in the oven for about 40-45 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking.
- Serve with your favorite side of protein!
If you’ve tried this recipe, please take a minute to rate the recipe and let me know how things went for you in the comments below. It’s always such a pleasure to hear from you!
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20 Comments on “Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Acorn Squash”
It’s 7am and now I want roasted veggies for breakfast. I LOVE brussel sprouts and squash…andddd pretty much everything about this recipe. I am dying over the date and pecan addition. Never tried that on veggies but I can tell it’s life changin’!
YUM! I literally just learned to love brussel sprouts about 3 weeks ago and have been eating them everyday since. And since I have always had a love of all things squash I think I will be trying this soon!
Bet you will love this one then, Kim! Let me know how you liked it if you end up making the dish! 🙂
I punched acorn squash and brussel sprouts into a Google search and here I am. I never expected my next click would bring me to this surprisingly intriguing recipe. I don’t have pecans right now so I’m considering pine nuts or walnuts as subs. Totally different tastes, but its what i have on hand. There is not a chance of waiting another hour before I try this recipe, so I’ll decide whether to use substitutes or leave out the pecans.
We introduced roasted vegetables to our extended family last Thanksgiving and there wasn’t a bit left over. 🙁 !!!! I was not expecting that. I had to make more for us. Perhaps this recipe will grace the table this year.
I hope the recipe turned out great, Den. I’m thinking walnuts would be a very suitable replacement for the pecans. 🙂
I liked the idea of the brusale sprouts, acorn squash, and cashews, did those in a cast iron pan in the oven, slicing the squash length wise into wedges and roasted everything @ 375 for 40 minutes. I added mango wedges for the final 10 minutes (15 minutes would have been better) and my wife and I were really happy with the outcome. We will be making this again.
Thanks for the great idea.
George
Could i add cooked chicken to this to make it a one-dish meal? Looks delicious!
Why absolutely, Tiffany. It’ll be delicious!
It was so good with the chicken! I added it shredded part way through cooking. Next time I will make an extra 1/2 recipe of the marinade though to keep the chicken moist. Even my 3 year old who doesn’t like acorn squash asked me to make it again!
So happy to hear, Tiffany! You had me wanting to try it for myself, now! 🙂
This is really good. Like fall in a bowl. I used walnuts and thyme because I had them, and it was delicious!
Fall in a bowl! Love it! 🙂
Glad to hear the dish was to your liking, and thanks much for taking the time to let me know!:)
Why is there so much saturated fat? Good lord. I mean, I love me some roasted brussels and squash, but where is 9 grams of saturated fat coming from?
A friend prepared this dish for a dinner party we attended last and holy smokes this dish is incredibly delicious. My husband is a vegetarian and I’m always looking for dishes I can add protein to for myself. She shared the recipe with me and I can’t wait to enjoy it again!
My house DOES smell amazing and I can’t wait to eat this. I happened to have everything on hand except coconut oil (subbed EVOO) and pecans (subbed walnuts). Only thing is, it wasn’t “a few minutes of prep.” It took me more than a few just to clean /chop the squash. 🙂 I think it’s worth the effort!
Glad to hear, Tamara. And yeah, you’re right. Prepping the squash does take a little bit more than a few minutes. But it IS totally well worth the effort. Hope the dish tasted as good as it smelled!
Hi, Sonia! Just popping in to let you know I’ve included your recipe for Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Acorn Squash in my mini round-up of acorn squash recipes on Taste As You Go! 🙂
Thank you Michelle! I greatly appreciate that! 🙂
I made this and while it was good, most of the dates and pecans ended up burned and stuck to the pan 🙁 I stirred them so I’m not sure what could have happened?
Did you line your pan with parchment paper, Robin?