Prep
Cook
Serves
15 mins.
25 mins.
6
This time of year is one of my favorites. The trees are spectacular right now with their showy colors on full display and my local grocery stores are stocked full of different types of Fall produce.
I recently made a trip to the grocery store to pick up a few items. I had no meal plan in mind, which is unusual for me, but I knew that I wanted to have a variety of vegetables. This Autumn Roasted Vegetable side dish is what I whipped up with all of my purchases and with the fresh pecans that my brother gifted me from his pecan trees. He is the proud owner of six large, mature trees, and this is the year that they drop their bounty. They were absolutely delicious and the freshest pecans that I’ve ever had in my life.
In an effort to include a few lighter side dishes to my long list of holiday casseroles, I decided to roast different vegetables and add broken pecan halves, dried cranberries, and to drizzle the roasted vegetables with a balsamic reduction. The final product is one that I will not only be making every Thanksgiving and Christmas, but throughout the year as a side dish to accompany baked chicken and pork.
I’m not one to measure my seasonings for a sheet pan meal. I chop the vegetables place them in a bowl and pour over a tablespoon or two of oil and stir everything up to make sure the surface of vegetables is well coated with oil. The raw vegetables are then spread out on a sheet pan and I then lightly sprinkle my seasonings across the surface of the pan of vegetables. If you prefer certain flavors feel free to substitute or add your favorite herbs and spices.
I hope that you’ll try this recipe out today and leave a comment below. Also, for daily updates follow @lifeabovethecafe on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest using the social media icons found on this page.
Wash and prep the vegetables. I chop the stem closer to the base of the brussel sprouts and remove any leaves that look bad. The butternut squash are cut into medium size cubes.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. I usually need 25 – 30 minutes of roasting time but adjust as you see fit based on the desired texture of your vegetables. Place a piece of aluminum foil or parchment paper on 1 large or 2 medium sheet pans.
I keep the brussel sprouts on one side of the pan since I use lemon pepper and slivers of cold bacon grease, that I reserve in my refrigerator, on the brussel sprouts.
Place the chopped brussel sprouts in a bowl and drizzle 1 TBSP of your favorite oil over them. Stir them well to make sure that they’re completely covered in oil. Spread them out on half of the sheet pan and sprinkle the brussel sprouts with salt, lemon pepper, parsley flakes, and if using slivers of the hardened bacon fat (about 1 tsp.).
Place the butternut squash cubes in the bowl and coat them with 1 TBSP of oil as well. Once coated, place them on the other side of the sheet pan and sprinkle the butternut squash pieces with salt, pepper, oregano, and parsley flakes.
Place the pan in the oven and roast the vegetables for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and stir the vegetables and place the it back in the oven. After an additional 10 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the cranberries and pecans over the surface of the vegetables. Place the pan back in the oven for 5 more minutes to allow the cranberries and pecans to warm up. If you test the vegetables at 25 minutes of cook time and they aren’t soft enough for you, allow them to cook for 5 more minutes. The larger the brussel sprouts and the cubes of butternut squash are, the longer the vegetables will need to roast.
While the vegetables roast, I pour 1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar into a small sauce pan and bring it to a boil. When the balsamic has reduced and thickened I remove it from the heat and use it to drizzle over the roasted vegetables fresh from the oven. If preferred skip this step.
Taste the vegetables before serving and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
