Meow Recipes

Monday, November 14, 2022

House Favorite Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Close-up of Brussels sprouts on pan with walnuts and cranberries

Let’s talk about these roasty, sweet, nutty brussels sprouts that combine those tender-crisp, whole-brussel bites with the ultra thin and crispy leaves, all coated with a lil’ mustard-maple drench and speckled with juicy bites of dried cranberry. Oh my gosh. WHY ARE THEY SO GOOD.

To be honest, I have very few “house favorites” in our house because I always change it up. Always trying new recipes, always moving on to the next thing. We hardly stay on any one recipe for more than just a few repeats because new! exciting! rah rah rah. But this recipe has been made WEEKLY for… um, the last five months? It has solidly earned its House Favorite status. We make these brussels sprouts all. the. time.

Dad loves them, toddler loves them, Mom loves them AND loves that everyone loves them. Also: guests love them, although usually if it’s more than just us, we’re going to need to double the recipe because, yes, in our house, we will for sure finish one pan between the three of us.

In This Post: Everything You Need For These Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients You’ll Need
VIDEO for This Recipe
How to Make These Roasted Brussels Sprouts
What to Serve with Brussels Sprouts
Frequently Asked Questions About This Recipe

Ingredients These Roasted Brussels Sprouts

This is an SOS series recipe – as in, an excellent back pocket choice for when you just need to get something on the table quickly – so here’s our super short and sweet ingredient list:

brussels sprouts
walnuts
dried cranberries
maple syrup
Dijon mustard

And, of course, your standards: olive oil, salt, and pepper.

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Ingredients for House Favorite Brussels Sprouts

How To Make Brussels Sprouts That Actually Taste Good

Here we go!

Prep your brussels sprouts. Cut off the base of the brussel sprout, remove the outer leaves, and cut it in half vertically. Turn on some music or a good show and go to town.
Then, the brussels get tossed in olive oil and roast in the oven, cut side down, until they are nice and crispy.
The walnuts get added for the last minute for a little toasting.
The cranberries join the cool-down party.
And finally, the sauce gets added directly to the pan. And by sauce, I mean an eyeballed little squirt of Dijon mustard and a solid drizzle of maple syrup (if you like things tangy, maybe a little balsamic vinegar too?). Get a little more olive oil, salt, and pepper up in there, maybe some red pepper flakes if you like things spicy, and ohhhkay yes.

That was easy. We are in business.

Roasted Brussels sprouts on a pan with a spatula

What To Serve with Brussels Sprouts

The brussels in and of themselves aren’t a meal (although, with the cranberries and walnuts in there…maybe they are?), but here are some ideas for what to serve them with – SOS STYLE.

BACON. Yes. Crumbled it on top and find joy.
Good ol’ spaghetti
All your other favorite Thanksgiving sides if it’s that time of year
Chicken (for ultra ease, buy the chicken breasts that are pre-seasoned and just throw them in a skillet)
Easy pasta, such as this yummy vegan one
Baked salmon (or however you like to cook your salmon!)
Instant Pot Mac and Cheese or this vegan mac and cheese (homemade cheese powder!)
If you have some time, some delicious parmesan risotto would be delightful with these!

The flavors of this recipe can go so many directions with whatever it is you’re eating. And I’m sure you can think of 100 or more fancier ideas to round out the table if you’re going for a more impressive-dinner-party situation, so don’t let me hold you back.

But for basic nights at home, when you want to really, truly, actually look forward to eating your vegetables, these basic, versatile, saucy, crispy sprouts are where it’s at.

I’m telling you – HOUSE FAVORITE.

Close-up of roasted Brussels sprouts on a pan with walnuts and cranberries.

House Favorite Brussels Sprouts: Frequently Asked Questions

I’m allergic to nuts. What can I substitute?

You could leave the nuts out completely or, if you can have seeds, you could add pumpkin seeds here. Once you add the pumpkin seeds, just keep a close eye on things so they don’t burn.

If they are more of a side dish, what can I serve these brussels sprouts with?

Great thing about these buddies is that they go with just about everything. Some ideas (if you have more time) include Date Night Lemon Pappardelle, these Swedish Meatballs, or this Skillet Chicken with Bacon and White Wine Sauce. YUM! (For SOS-friendly recipes to serve this with, see the list in the above section.)

How could I prep brussels sprouts in advance?

Brussels sprouts are really best fresh and crispy out of the oven, so for prepping ahead of time, I would recommend just cutting the brussels sprouts so they’re ready to get roasted, and whisk the mustard and maple syrup together so that’s ready to go too!

Can I add meat to these brussels sprouts?

Sure! Some diced pancetta or bacon would be great! You could also cook up some salmon to go with this very nicely.

Are there any herbs I could add to this?

Absolutely! Thyme and/or rosemary would be lovely additions to this.

Can I add cheese to this?

That sounds delicious! Yes. Crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese would be delicious.

House Favorite Roasted Brussels Sprouts

5 from 23 reviews

Author: Lindsay
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 3-4 servings

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Description

These House Favorite Brussels Sprouts are the best side veg and are speckled with bright bursts of cranberries and nutty walnuts. The perfect addition to any meal!

Ingredients

one 12 oz. package raw brussels sprouts, halved
2 tablespoons olive oil
a pinch of salt and pepper
a handful of walnuts
a handful of dried cranberries
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons maple syrup
extra olive oil, more salt and pepper, maybe some red pepper flakes if you want to spice things up

Instructions

Video

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place brussels sprouts cut-side down directly on a baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Roast brussels sprouts for 15-20 minutes, until cut sides are very brown and some of the leaves are crispy. Add walnuts, mustard, and maple; return to oven for 5-10 minutes to get the walnuts toasted. (You can choose to either add the sauce now, or when the pan comes out of the oven in step 3. If you add it now, it gets kind of baked into the brussels, but if you add it when they’re done baking, it’ll be a little more saucy. I like it both ways. Your choice!)
Remove from oven. Toss with cranberries directly on the baking sheet. Season and serve immediately. Yumo!

Equipment

The equipment section may contain affiliate links to products we know and love.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Category: Side Dish
Method: Roast
Cuisine: American

Keywords: brussels sprouts, walnuts, cranberries

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More Delicious Brussels Sprouts Recipes

Brussels Sprouts Tacos (a fun and savory taco delight)
Brussels & Kale Caesar with Cheezy Garlic Croutons (this vegan fave reigns supreme)
Kitchen Sink Sunflower Salad (a use-whatever-you-have type of salad – SO GOOD!)
Bacon and Brussels Sprouts Salad (major seal of approval here *mwah mwah*)

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Monday, November 7, 2022

Everybody’s Favorite Corn Casserole

Clear a spot on the Thanksgiving table this year for this deliciously savory, unstoppably scoopable corn casserole with its hint of sweet, its confetti of bacon, and pulls of sharp cheddar cheese. There is a new side dish in town and it is not messing around.

Corn casserole in a casserole dish with a serving spoon.

This post is sponsored by ButcherBox.

Corn Casserole and Holiday Turkey: A Match Made In Heaven

This corn recipe has been a holiday favorite with my family over the years (hence the name “everybody’s favorite”)! We make it every year.

This year, we get to re-share this favorite recipe in partnership with ButcherBox and I get to tell you about how you can get a FREE TURKEY to be serving alongside your corn casserole at the Thanksgiving or holiday meal.

How it works: if you’re a new member, click here to get a 10-14 pound turkey totally free in your first box! You just have to make sure you sign up by Sunday, November 13th.

I’ve been using ButcherBox personally for the last year – I actually signed up when they had their turkey deal LAST year, so I got in on the free turkey action myself!

Being a ButcherBox customer for the last year, I have felt so good about buying from a company that prioritizes family farms, sustainability, and humane farming practices.

And bonus – I love their bacon in this recipe!

Onto The Corn Casserole

This beautiful dish is not like a loose creamed corn and it is not sturdy or dry like a cornbread. It’s somewhere delightfully in the middle with a soft tight texture that feels almost more like a corn custard but also…not quite that? It’s a bit of a uniCORN situation (lol, sorry forever). It is a truly unique and highly inviting texture and we just cannot stop piling scoop after golden scoop onto our holiday plates. The sweet corn is speckled throughout so you get little bursty bites here and there. Plus, garlic and bacon and cheese so, you know, all the best things.

Also, we don’t want to brag but, it is just really beautiful. Sure, that whole slow-roasted turkey thing is often the star but….honestly, we would maybe just pop this gal in the center of the table and see how it goes.

In This Post: Everything You Need For Corn Casserole

VIDEO for How to Make Corn Casserole
Difference Between Creamed Corn vs. Corn Casserole vs. Cornbread
Ingredients You’ll Need
How to Make Corn Casserole
What to Serve with Corn Casserole
Frequently Asked Questions About This Recipe

Prefer To Watch Instead Of Read?

Scoop out of corn casserole in a casserole dish.

Creamed Corn Vs. Corn Casserole Vs. Cornbread: What’s The Difference?

Creamed corn — maybe you love it, maybe you hate it — has several different variations in its prep (heavy cream? cream cheese? corn milk from the cob? yes, that’s a thing), but one thing that is consistent is that it is well, creamy. A lot of sauciness among your corn kernels. There are several delicious recipes out there for it that go way beyond the canned version you may have discreetly pushed aside when passed to you during holidays past. And though a can of creamed corn on its own maybe isn’t everyone’s favorite, a can of it in this recipe is very chef’s kiss! It helps keep the casserole supple and thick enough that it holds together scoop after scoop.

Corn casserole, however, is entirely different than creamed corn. It is a very popular southern holiday side dish and it is super moist, almost creamy with bright bursty corn kernels throughout. It’s like creamed corn, cornbread and almost a soufflé all in one dish!

Ingredients For This Recipe

Straight-up corn casserole is nothing short of amazing but we’re feeling festive, and we wanted to zazz things up a little. And when one zazzes, one must gather:

bacon (ButcherBox bacon is our favorite to use!)
onion and garlic
sharp cheddar cheese
fresh chives

Once your zazzers are collected, grab your pantry basics (flour, sugar, baking powder, etc) along with some:

cornmeal
corn
can of creamed corn
sour cream
melted butter
eggs

No Jiffy Box Here! Corn Casserole From Scratch

We’re going fully from scratch here on this so you can tuck away that little box of Jiffy corn muffin mix.

No judgment on a box mix at all, we love a good shortcut. But bringing this casserole together from scratch is really key to its delicious flavor and addicting texture, you can adjust the sweetness and flavors as you see fit, and it really isn’t all that much more time-consuming!

How To Make Corn Casserole

You’ll start with crisping bacon and end with showering cheddar cheese and chives on top, and everything in between is pretty simple.

Bacon. You’ll start by crisping up your bacon and then you’ll get your onions and garlic going in that same pan for optimal yum boosts. You’ll chop up the bacon and save half for the mix and half to toss on top at the end.
Batter. Mix your dry ingredients and then whisk together your wet ones in a separate bowl. Add the corn, creamed corn, sour cream, onion mixture, half the bacon bits and all their salty goodness, and then slowly incorporate your dry ingredients.
Bake. Pour into a greased baking dish and bake for about 35 minutes. Remove and cover with shredded sharp cheddar cheese, the rest of the crispy bacon, and some fresh chives and bake for 5 minutes more.

Then plop that beauty IN THE CENTER OF YOUR TABLE and see if anyone can even finish their “oohs and aaahs” before digging into that rich golden goodness. It’s so, so good.

What To Serve with Corn Casserole

We’re hoping this is on the table for your Thanksgiving or holiday spread with all the other fixings, but in case you need some more guidance, here what it’s delicious with.

Meat: Obviously, turkey! But would also be great as a side to a delicious pot roast.
Veggies: If you want to cut through the creamy goodness of this casserole, this simple green salad is your zippy ticket, or these delicious roasted carrots.
Other sides: Some classic mashed potatoes, equally classic green bean casserole, or sweet potato casserole because the holidays are all about those casseroles.
Dessert: Pie, please! This creamy peanut butter pie is as easy as it is delicious.

If corn casserole is already part of your holiday feast, congratulations on being very smart and good at holidays, and also please consider trying this zazzed up version this year? If you’re new to it, whoo boy, you’re in for such a beautiful, rich, deeply comforting, delicious surprise. Merry holidays to you.

Corn Casserole: FAQs

How can I make this ahead of time?

You can prep this casserole by doing everything through step 2 and baking the casserole in a greased baking dish for 35 minutes. Cover and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. Rewarm in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes and complete the rest of step 3.

Can I freeze this casserole?

Yes! Store in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.

How can I make this vegetarian?

Just leave out the bacon and add in a little bit more salt.

How do you store and reheat leftovers?

Cover your leftovers in the pan and keep in the fridge. When you’re ready to reheat, you can either heat up an individual portion in the microwave in a pinch, or cover the whole thing with foil and pop it in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

Can this be made in a slow cooker?

We haven’t tested this in a slow cooker, but think it could work! If you follow a similar recipe like this one, you should be able to cook it on high for 2-3 hours.