Some very brave friends of ours started our Thanksgiving meals early this year when they invited all of their friends with kids to a pre-holiday feast. Over a dozen kids under the age of five generated a cacophony that made “11” sound like the mewing of a newborn kitten. Amidst the blur of preschoolers there were moments of delightful adult conversation, many glasses of crimson Cabernet, and more than one vote for leaving the kids with sitters next year.
Everyone brought side dishes to accompany the perfectly roasted turkey prepared by our hosts. It was a no-brainer for me to bring something featuring those gorgeous Farmstr Brussels. I only used a small portion of a gorgonzola cheese wedge making that Brussels Sprout hash. To make this super simple festive side dish I tossed the sprouts in the oven to roast, grabbed what remained of the funky fromage, a package of dried cranberries, and a lemon then tossed everything together before scooting out the door. It is hard not to love a dish that is easy to make, looks striking on a buffet table, and does a little funky cha-cha in your mouth.
Gorgonzola & Cranberry Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Isn’t it fun when you take a dish to a potluck and overhear people whispering, “Do you know who made this? It is soo good!” These bejeweled Brussels sprouts have elicited such hushed inquires. Make them to share throughout the fall and winter holidays or simply to brighten your weeknight table.
Prep time: 10 minutes, Cook time: 20 minutes; Yield approximately 12 (1/2 cup) servings
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Brussels sprouts, halved
- 2 tablespoons grape seed oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 6 oz gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest – about 1/2 a large lemon
Method
- Set oven rack to the center and preheat oven to 425. Rinse, trim and halve your sprouts then toss them with the oil, salt, and pepper. Turn the sprouts on to a baking sheet and arrange in a single layer. You may need an additional pan if the sprouts are on the larger side.
- Roast the sprouts for 10 minutes, before giving them a quick stir and continue to roast for an additional 10 minutes. Keep an eye on them for the final 10 minutes – they should have a nice amount of color but remove if they begin to burn.
- Scoop the hot sprouts into a large serving dish and toss with the cranberries and crumbled cheese. Top everything with a generous sprinkling of lemon zest. Serve warm.
1/2 cup serving 122 calories, 6.4 g. fat, 10 g. carbohydrates, 4 g. fiber, 7 g. protein, pp = 3
I’m planning to try this recipe tonight! Although I’ve always disliked brussels sprouts, I tried them again recently and liked them, so maybe tastes change. I bet cauliflower would work too.
Oh great! Roasted cauliflower is delicious and would look really pretty tossed with cranberries.
I didn’t intend for my first comment to be “anonymous”… let’s see if I can do better this time. Just finished dinner. Oven-fried fish, quinoa pilaf, and your roasted brussels sprouts. Oh, it was all so GOOD! Thanks for the recipe, m’lady!
That sounds really good! Now I’m hungry!!
Hi Rose – first I want to thank you for a phenomenal blog. I’ve followed it since you were first on KCTS Cooks with your (yummy) sesame tofu. This is my first post here though. I have a question – if say a person detests, loathes, despises and otherwise would like to see brussel sprouts disappear forever – is there a vegetable they could substitute? I mean if anyone could make them tasty I’m sure it’s you but well I hate ’em. Thanks. 🙂
Hi Marg! First of all thank you so much for your comment, it made my day! As for your question – off the top of my head I think sautéed green beans would be a fair substitute. It won’t have quite the same flavors but then that’s why you asked isn’t it?
Thanks for reading and please comment anytime. 🙂