Thankful Brussel Sprouts

I made this yummy side dish for Thanksgiving from Brussel Sprouts and Butternut squash we grew in the garden. It was a beautiful dish to make rich with color and nutrients. I was fortunate enough to have two recipes to work with as I blended them together and added my own touch (because that's what I do!).

The first recipe I saw and worked with was the one from none other than Ree The Pioneer Woman. Ree's Beautiful Brussel Sprouts were the driving force behind this beautiful dish. I loved the added spark of vibrant red she added and with pomegranate's in season I knew that my garden friends deserved this wonderfully sweet touch!

The second recipe I used to inspire me was from Life Made Sweeter, a recent addition to my blog roll. It was Kelly's sauce on her Roasted Balsamic Butternut Squash and Brussel Sprouts that caught my attention. It included maple syrup and I knew then that including our own home made maple syrup was the perfect was to truly celebrate Thanksgiving with love from our homestead.

I prepped my Brussel Sprouts by trimming the stems and outer leaves and then sliced them in half. To prep the squash I cut the ends off, carefully peeled it, cut it in half, removed seeds and guts, then cut it into cubes. I roughly chopped a red onion, tossed it all together in a baking dish, tossed with olive oil salt and pepper, and put it in the oven with the turkey. 


While it cooked I deconstructed the pomegranate and then mixed my sauce. For the sauce I mixed generous amounts of maple syrup, healthy dashes of pomegranate juice (Pom is the brand I used), a couple of squeezes of balsamic glaze, some herbs and spices, salt and pepper, and a  squeak of olive oil. When the squash was soft and I could smell the sprouts it came out of the oven to cool just a bit. I tossed it with about 1/4 cup dried cranberries and about 1/2 of the pomegranate seeds. I drizzled the sauce over the top and tossed to combine.

This was one of the best Thanksgiving sides I have ever made. Thank you for the inspiration!