That is a big bowl of health right there. Yes siree bub, it’s healthy. You might be thinking, “What’s going on? Where am I? Where are the cookies? Where are the simple carbohydrates?” I hear you. But I am trying to branch out. A little. Sometimes. Also this is the recipe that the Doristas voted into the #1 slot this month so I didn’t really have a choice. It’s not super-ghastly like liver so I just thought I would give it a try. Plus I have eaten this amazing shaved Brussels sprouts & bacon salad that my neighbor makes several times so it was a another “What the hell?” moment.
I had to go to three different grocery stores on Tuesday to find the sprouts and the squash – are these not winter veggies? I was really annoyed with my preferred store because it forced me to go Aldi’s (a scary experience) and the other grocery store in town that is laid out really poorly and has the tightest parking lot ever. EVER! But I will say that their produce section was stellar and had what I needed so they aren’t totally worthless I guess.
I think if I ever make this again I will just roast it on a cookie sheet and be done with it, but the foil packets were fun to try this once. I wish I would have taken them out a few minutes sooner because things were a little too soft, but other than that I pretty much enjoyed this dish. I love squash a lot so the sprouts were the only thing to worry about and they weren’t bad. I didn’t love, love, love them but I did love the smug feeling of healthfulness I got when I realized I was voluntarily eating Brussels sprouts for dinner. Yeah, who’s a grown-up? ME!
I’ve always thought of butternut squash as a fall veg, but Brussels sprouts are definitely a winter thing! I’m surprised they were so hard to come by – but good for you for persevering! My husband loves them and rejoices whenever I decide to make them. They’re growing on me. This is certainly a good recipe for taste development. And so very pretty! Nice job!
I’m not sure I would have gone to 3 different stores just for brussel sprouts. Geez! Good job, and even better b/c you wound up liking them!
Is it just me?
I see the pictures (which look delicious) but can’t see the actual directions…?
No it’s not just you – we don’t post the recipes in this group usually because we try to encourage people to buy the book (it’s such an amazing cookbook – Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan) but I got lazy and didn’t explain that at the bottom of the post. Really all you do is mix Brussels sprouts with butternut squash, olive oil, salt, and pepper, put it in a little foil packet, sprinkle brown sugar on it and seal the packet and bake it at 425 for about 25 minutes. You can put in a little fresh sage leaf too if you want. The next time I make this I will probably just roast it on a pan. If you want to check out how the other people in French Fridays with Dorie did with this recipe, go to http://www.frenchfridayswithdorie.com.
Thank you!
For anyone adventurous enough I restated the directions here in haiku format:
http://www.sisboomblog.com/2013/01/brown-sugar-squash-brussels-sprouts-en.html
Yay grown up healthy you! I hated brussels sprouts as a kid but learned to love them once I discovered roast brussels sprouts. Delicious. Food52 has an especially delicious recipe for grilled brussels sprouts, which I just do in my oven under the broiler.
I agree! This dish was one big bowl of health!
Oh, I wish your first time with brussels sprout was roasted. They really do taste much better that way… a lot less cabbagy. Good for you for branching out.
I actually enjoyed this dish…but then I love butternut squash and brussels sprouts! Glad you got to expand your horizons!
Congratulations of joining the rank of grownup, Maggie! I had trouble finding butternut squash. There were only a few left at Whole Foods. Maybe they’ve all been eaten for the year… Who knows. Have a great weekend.
Being an adult isn’t all bad
Yeah, squash are starting to get a little scarce in some places – crazy, because they are a winter storage crop… I guess we’ll have to make due with rutabagas!
Maggie, you certainly prepared a wonderful package full of healthy ingredients – so nice to see that everyone seems to have enjoyed this week´s recipe so much.
Have a great weekend!
I get that- Brussels sprouts are a bit iffy for me, also.q
I was the same – I didn’t like brussels sprouts until I was older and still only if they are fixed with some added flavor. This had a lot of added flavor. Glad you also enjoyed this recipe. I know you will also enjoy them roasted.
Healthy, grown up, and delicious! I love Brussels sprouts, especially when they’re roasted or pan-fried (101 Cookbooks has a great pan-fried Brussels sprouts recipe).
LOL…I think my blog followers will start wondering about me, too, with 2 savory posts in a row. Thank goodness for the upcoming Valentine’s Day glut on sweets coming up. I liked this one, too, but a simple roasting would have been just as good.
Had to chuckle with your Aldi comment- I had been to ours a few years back (to see what it was all about and it was near the kiddos school- a good place to kill time) and took merciless ribbing from family and friends. But I got some awesome blueberries so who is laughing. And a bazillion thanks for including a link for that shredded sprout/bacon recipe- I am 100% going to do that. It looks priceless. My go to for brussels sprouts is adding bacon, chopped onions and pignoli nuts to a fry pan to saute them all after steaming the sprouts. Also, I am with you and think there is some reverse psychology to my positive reviews since anything “not involving liver” is now a distinct winner…….
Consensus was to just roast ‘em, huh? To that I can just add a ‘me too’ but this was easy and wrapping them this way makes them less ‘time sensitive’ if other things are cooking. Sage is one of my faves so it was nice to get one more thing to use it on.
Yup, I made extras to eat through my busy week just so I could feel like I was eating some health with all my junk and munching food. I was worried I would not find the sprouts easily…glad I did because this time I had no time to make a 3 store effort. Good for you!
LOL – cute post. I know what you mean about Aldi – scary place.
I just started liking Brussels sprouts a few years ago and have only made them three ways. This was one and I found it to be quite good. I can’t believe you had such a hard time finding all the ingredients- but glad you did.
I don’t know what Aldi’s is, Maggie, so I can’t go there about being scary. Just in my imagination. Like you (and, everyone), I prefer my veggies roasted and carmelized but this was fun to try. It hasn’t been a stellar month for FFWD so I wanted and needed this recipe to be okay. I “matured” much later than you with the brussels sprouts thing. One day I was shopping in Whole Foods and saw entire stalks of brussels sprouts in the food bin. They were selling (and, still do) stalks of sprouts. I didn’t even know how brussels sprouts grew at that point but I bought some and we cooked them on the top of the stove in lots of butter and lemon. Wow. I was a convert. It is an acquired taste but keep at it. Good for you.