Roasted Apples n’ Brussels Sprouts

First of all, who knew it was brussels sprouts and not brussel sprouts? Yeah, that was a little bit of a shocker for me too. Nonetheless I have no problem professing my love for these leafy greens or baby cabbage, as I like to call them in my head.

Now I know brussels sprouts are making the rounds on the internet as the new green bean side dish for Thanksgiving, and I think I’ve been on that band wagon for a while. At least the roasted vegetable for holidays band wagon. So much so that I requested my mom feature even more veggies at our family celebration this year. To which she suggested I send her some recipe ideas and man the kitchen for a little. Well that set a fire under my booty, and I went a-huntin’ or flipping through recipes I had already flagged for the occasion. A long email was compiled highlighting what I thought would be the clear winning recipe – brussels sprouts with roasted grapes and walnuts. Yum, right? The response from the woman who carried me for 9 months and loved me forever? “That sounds delicious, but no grapes.” Did she miss the part where the grapes were the complimentary sweet to the sprouts salty? What does she have against grapes?

I can’t say I was too surprised. If you haven’t had roasted grapes, then you probably don’t htink they sound all that good. But, I swear they carmelize to perfection with a little love and salt. That said, I hunkered down and tried to think of a subsitute for grapes that I knew my family would buy…er….eat. And, I came to the realization that nobody dislikes a baked apple! So there you have it, a long winded story on how this combination came to be. You could make this for Thanksgiving, or you could make it tomorrow night for dinner. If you decide to go for it as a holiday side I recommend adding a walnut or toasted pecan at the very end to give it a little extra crunch.

Roasted Apples n’ Brussels Sprouts (serves 4 as a side)

Ingredients:

• 3 cups brussels sprouts
• 1 large apple
• 1 cup baby carrots
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• fresh ground pepper to taste
• OPTIONAL: 1/4 cup toasted walnuts

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Farenheit. Rinse and dry all the produce. Cut the stalky end off of the sprouts and cut in half. Chop the apple into bite size pieces. Cut the carrots in half. Toss into a large bowl and mix with the rest of the ingredients.

Spread a nonstick mat on a baking sheet, or coat with nonstick spray. Pour the veggies onto the pan and disperse so they are in a single layer. Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Remove from the oven and toss in a bowl with walnuts, if using. Serve while warm.

And, since I’m so thankful that you read my ramblings – how about a little giveaway? And by little, I mean awesomely amazing! I’ve arranged for one lucky reader to win a free month supply of POPCHIPS !!! I think it’ll keep you snacking healthy through the holiday season. 

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment below telling me about your favorite holiday side. Then, be sure to follow @popchips on twitter and/or facebook and tell all your friends to enter the @popchip giveaway on Mind Over Booty . YOU MUST DO BOTH TO BE ELIGIBLE TO WIN. The contest closes at 12 pm CST on Friday, November 18.