Festive and Seasonal Thanksgiving Side Dish

I’ve been skimping on grocery shopping lately, trying to force myself to get creative with what I already have at hand. Last night I looked around my kitchen and found a butternut squash (yes pulled from my festive fall table decorations), Brussels sprouts, bacon and pecans and was inspired by the fall season to create something savory for dinner. Thus creating what I am dubbing the “Autumn Harvest Roasted Brussels & Squash” dish, which also could be a festive and seasonal Thanksgiving side dish. Looks & tastes very festively fall.

Autumn Harvest Roasted Brussels & Squash Ingredients

1 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed & cut in half
1 Butternut squash, peeled and cut into small chunks (cubes if you are fancy & patient when it comes to cutting)
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon thyme
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Recipe Execution

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Prepare two foil-lined baking sheets lightly grease one of the two.
2. Wash brussels, trim ends and remove yellow leaves. Slice all Brussels sprouts in half. Place onto the un-greased foil-lined baking sheet, cut side down.
3. Lay out slices of bacon and chop into one centimeter thick pieces. Sprinkle over the pan of Brussels sprouts, add salt and pepper. While roasting the bacon will release fat, acting as oil, so there is no need to add oil or butter.
4. Combine the chopped pieces of butternut squash with the oil and sprinkle with your desired amount of salt, thinly chopped thyme and rosemary plus cinnamon. Place the chopped pieces of butternut squash on the other greased baking sheet.
5. Roast both pans in the oven at 375 F for about 20-25 minutes total. Throughout roasting consistently turn contents of both pans over for even browning. The goal is for the cut sides to be nicely and partially charred, but not overly blackened (see my photos).
6. Once the squash has roasted add chopped pecans to the pan, toss to mix into the oil and seasoning and return to the oven for another 3-5 mins.
7. Assembly: In a large bowl, combine roasted sprouts and bacon, squash, pecans, and mix to combine.
8. (OPTIONAL): For more sweetness, gradually add 2 or 4 tablespoons of maple syrup while ingredients are hot. (I didn’t do this with my dish)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BMiAcEWDd-g/?taken-by=moscatoismymantra&hl=en