Roasted butternut squash and brussel sprouts with bacon

Easy Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash tossed with cranberries and bacon for the BEST combo ever! It’s tangy, salty, sweet, crunchy, crispy!

These maple bacon Brussels sprouts and butternut squash require just 5 minutes of hands-on prep and are ready in under an hour. Perfect for holiday entertaining or weeknight dinners!

I embarrassingly admit I had never made, let alone tasted, Brussels sprouts before this year.  In fact, I didn’t even know how to spell them correctly.  I had them written as “brussel” sprouts throughout the post until I thought I should probably double check the spelling so I didn’t pull a “teriyai” chicken on all my  pinnable images (I knew how to to spell teriyaki — it was just a late night!).

Anyhoo, a while back my neighbor was telling Patrick and me how much she loved Brussels sprouts. Her passion and enthusiasm was so convincing, we bought the leafy greens on our next Sprouts run. I sauteed them in a little butter, lemon juice and garlic, salt and pepper, and we were just as enthusiastic as my neighbor.

And then I decided to roast them. Oh My Yum. The tender inside, caramelized outside, so good. And then I decided to roast them with butternut squash and make them “Thanksgiving” worthy, by tossing them in my Maple Dijon Butter Sauce and now I can barely imagine eating them any other way.

Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts Ingredients

This roasted brussel sprouts and butternut squash recipe is a cinch to make! Here’s what goes into this recipe for crispy brussels sprouts with bacon and squash:

• Brussels sprouts: Cut the sprouts in in half.  If they are less than 1 inch, then leave them whole.  
• Butternut squash: Find a squash with skin that has a matte finish. If the skin looks shiny, it was picked early and is not ripe.
• Olive oil: Use extra virgin olive oil for more flavor. 
• Dijon maple butter sauce: Sounds fancy, tastes fancy … but doesn’t call for fancy ingredients! It’s a blend of Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, butter, maple syrup, and spices. Yum!
• Pecans: Add a nice crunch to this dish.
• Dried cranberries: Totally optional, but highly recommended.
• Bacon: Use any bacon you’d like. Cook the bacon until crisp, then crumble.
• Feta cheese: Another optional topping, but I love how this salty, creamy cheese pairs with the crispy sprouts and tangy dressing.

Ingredient Variations

• You can also use any of your favorite baking oils, such as avocado oil or grape seed oil, but you MUST use oil for crispy Brussels sprouts with bacon and squash.
• Do NOT use frozen Brussels sprouts in this maple bacon Brussels sprouts recipe. Frozen sprouts won’t roast as well, plus the flavor isn’t as nice in my opinion.
• I used butternut squash, but I bet another kind of squash would work equally well. Just note that different types of squash have different textures.

How to Make Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash

Making butternut squash and roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon couldn’t be simpler!

1. Toss your butternut squash and Brussels sprouts with some olive oil and roast for 25 minutes.
2. Then, bathe in the sweet and tangy Maple Dijon Butter Sauce. (This is the same sauce I use in my Maple Dijon Green Beans with Caramelized Pecans, Bacon and Feta, and I just knew it was going to be heavenly smothering squash and Brussels Sprouts. And it was.)
3. Toss in some pecans and continue to roast for 10-20 minutes longer, or until the squash is fork tender and the vegetables have drunk in all the Maple Dijon deliciousness.
4. Finally, toss in some dried cranberries and bacon to round out the sweet and savory, crunchy, crispy and you have a Thanksgiving-worthy, everyday easy side dish!

Tips for Making Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash

• Use fresh Brussels Sprouts. Set yourself up for success by using the freshest Brussels sprouts  – not ones that have been hanging out in your fridge for days and days. Fresh Brussels sprouts are more firm with and therefore more likely to crisp up. As they sit in the fridge, they soften which is a losing battle to reverse in the oven.
• Dry Brussels Sprouts. After rinsing the Brussels sprouts, pat them very dry with a clean kitchen towel or the winning combo of salad spinner and clean kitchen towel. Any moisture left on the Brussels sprouts will inhibit the roasting  process and render the sprouts soft and even mushy.  
• Leave plenty of space. Don’t let the Brussels sprouts or butternut squash overlap or even touch or they will steam instead of roast. Use two pans if needed verses letting the Brussels sprouts and butternut squash be too close to each other.
• Wash your squash. You don’t know what conditions the surface of your squash has encountered. Some might say, “we aren’t eating the outside,” BUT our knife is going to be passing through the outside of the squash into the inside of the squash, so it is important that it is free from bacteria.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash Variations

Want to jazz up these maple bacon Brussels sprouts with butternut squash? Here are a few ways you can do so:

• Nuts for crunch: Add sliced almonds, chopped walnuts, toasted pine nuts, etc. instead of pecans.
• Seeds for crunch: Use roasted pumpkin seeds, roasted sunflower seeds, etc. instead of pecans.
• Use different sauces: Not feeling the maple Dijon sauce? These posts on How to Roast Brussels Sprouts and How to Roast Butternut Squash have lots of flavor / sauce variations to choose from!

How to Trim Brussels Sprouts

If you purchase Brussels sprouts on the stalk, start by cutting the buds off. Most of the time in the store, you’ll find Brussels sprouts already removed from the stalk.

Next, peel off the flimsy outer leaves, trim off the very bottom of the stalk then cut them in halve lengthwise through the stem. Brussels sprouts will retain their shape even if they are halved, cut into quarters, wedges or coins due to their tightly packed leaves.

Can I Prep Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash in Advance?

These baked Brussels sprouts with bacon and butternut squash are best piping hot out of the oven. However, if you want to prep part of your Brussels Sprouts recipe in advance, you can:

1. Clean, trim and cut the Brussels sprouts and squash.
2. Toss them with olive oil and seasonings.
3. Line cut side down on lightly greased, foil lined baking sheet.
4. Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate
5. When you are ready to make, all you have to do is pop them in the oven!!

How to Store Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash

These maple Brussels sprouts and butternut squash should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

How to Reheat Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts

You can reheat roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon and butternut squash in the microwave or on the stovetop, but for crispier Brussels sprouts, heat them in the oven.

• Microwave: Transfer baked Brussels Sprouts to a microwave-safe plate. Microwave at 30-second intervals. 
• Stove: Heat a drizzle olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat.  Once very hot, add Brussels sprouts and butternut squash and stir fry for just 1-2 minutes until heated through.
• Oven: Add Brussels sprouts and squash to a lightly greased baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 5-7 minutes, or until heated through.

Can I Freeze Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts and Squash?

I don’t recommend freezing baked Brussels sprouts with bacon and squash if you are going to eat them plain as they can become soggy and unpleasant.  I would only freeze leftover roasted Brussels sprouts and butternut squash if you are going to add them to risotto, pasta, etc., in which you won’t notice the soft texture as much.

• Place Brussels sprouts and butternut squash on a baking sheet so they are not touching.   
• Freeze until firm, about 1-2 hours (this will prevent the sprouts from freezing together in a container).
• Transfer sprouts and squash to a freezer container (leaving room for possible expansion) or a large freezer bag and squeeze out excess air to prevent freezer burn.
• Thaw sprouts and squash in overnight in the refrigerate, then reheat as according to above directions.

What to Serve with Maple Bacon Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash

• Protein: fish, shrimp, steak, pork, etc.
• Soups: Minestrone, Navy Bean Soup, Turkey Chili, Italian Soup.
• Comfort food:  Beef Brisket, Spice Rubbed Steaks, French Dips, Chicken Cordon Bleu or Oven Fried Chicken.
• Holiday Food! Herb Butter Turkey, Brown Sugar Glazed Ham, Honey Baked Ham, Garlic Herb Butter Pork Tenderloin, Pot Roast, Beef Tips and Gravy, and Slow Cooker Honey Balsamic Roast Beef.

Looking for More Oven Roasted Vegetable Recipes?

• Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Brown Butter
• Roasted Cauliflower
• Roasted Broccoli with  Parmesan
• Baked Parmesan Fingerling Potato Fries
• Roasted Broccolini (With Lemon and Garlic)
• Roasted Potatoes with Bacon and Parmesan
• Honey Garlic Roasted Carrots
• Asian Roasted Butternut Squash and Cashews

Looking For More Butternut Squash Recipes?

• Butternut Squash Risotto
• Butternut Squash Salad with Cranberries, Caramelized Pecans and Goat Cheese
• Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta
• Roasted Butternut Squash with Cashews
• Slow Cooker Thai Butternut Squash Soup
• Slow Cooker Thai Chicken, Wild Rice, Butternut Squash Soup Recipe

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• 1 pound butternut squash, peeled, chopped into 1-inch cubes
• 1 pound Brussels sprouts, stems trimmed, sliced in half through stem
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Garnish

• 1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup feta cheese to taste (optional)
• 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled or more to taste (optional)

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

• In a small bowl, mix together the Dijon Maple Butter Sauce ingredients. Set aside.

• Line a large baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Add Brussels sprouts and squash, drizzle with olive oil and toss to evenly coat.

• Evenly spread out vegetables and roast at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes.

• Toss vegetables with Dijon Maple Butter Sauce and ¼ cup pecans (it will seem “wet but will soak in the vegetables) then roast another 10-20 minutes or until squash is fork tender.

• Toss Brussels sprouts and squash with cranberries and feta and bacon if desired. Serve warm.

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