A delicious and easy recipe for orange-glazed brussels sprouts with butternut squash! Tossed with sweet, tangy sauce, cranberries, and crunchy pecans.
Brussels sprouts have become my new obsession. Roasted, fried,sauteed,都是好的。我是认真的!可能是you age you have fewer taste buds, or maybe I’ve finally figured out how to make them irresistibly tasty. I’d like to think the latter, but either way this combo of earthy sprouts with sweet butternut squash is the way to go.
Did I mention the orange glaze? If I were a vegetable, I definitely wouldn’t mind being bathed in a luscious spiced honey citrus sauce. When you serve this colorful bowl of honey orange glazed brussels sprouts and butternut squash for the holidays, they’ll be shining right next to your gigantic golden-brown turkey.
Brussels sprouts look like cute baby cabbages and have the same flavor and robust texture. For larger sprouts, I like to cut them in half down the center and blanch them in a large pot of salted boiling water for a few minutes.
This makes the center more tender and easier to eat. These edible buds stay intact after cooking, making it easy to add some interesting texture and smoky flavor by charring them in a pan after blanching,
Butternut squash jumped to the top of my list, and he eats it up like candy. I’ve tried to get creative withbutternut squash macaroni and cheeseandIndian chickpea curry. I thought that he would enjoy this dish during our holiday feasts. Plus the honey orange glaze has a touch of cinnamon and thyme which I know he will gobble up.
What is the purpose of blanching the brussels sprouts?
Raw brussels sprouts have dense layers of leaves and cooking helps to soften the texture of the vegetable. Trimming the sprouts and cutting them in half exposes more surface area of the vegetable to cook efficiently. A quick dip in boiling salted water called blanching does two things. They become more tender and the color changes. The salted water flavors the vegetable and weakens the pectin that holds the plants’ cell walls together. This is important because overcooked vegetables turn a dull olive green color. So the faster you can cook the sprouts, the more vibrant green it will look. To fully prepare brussels sprouts it takes about 6 to 8 minutes of blanching or 7 to 9 minutes of steaming.(Source:The Science of Good Cooking (Cook’s Illustrated Cookbooks)
Orange-Glazed Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients
Orange Glaze
- 2tablespoonsunsalted butter,melted
- 2tablespoonshoney
- zest of one orange
- 3tablespoonsorange juice,fresh-squeezed
- ¼teaspoonblack pepper
- 2teaspoonsapple cider vinegar
- ⅛teaspooncinnamon,ground
- ½teaspoonthyme,fresh chopped
Brussels Sprouts
- 1poundbrussels sprouts,washed, trimmed and halved
- 3cupsbutternut squash,peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes (about 1 squash)
- 2tablespoonsolive oil,divided
- ¾teaspoonkosher salt,divided
- ½cupdried cranberries
- ½cuppecans,toasted
Instructions
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Combine all glaze ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
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In a large sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Swirl to coat the pan, then add in butternut squash.
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Sprinkle the squash with a ¼ teaspoon of salt, stir to coat in the oil, and spread out in a single layer. Allow it to cook for 5 minutes without stirring, so that the pieces begin to brown lightly.
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Stir and redistribute the pieces and allow it to cook for another 5 minutes. Stir again and cook until the squash is fork-tender, about 15 minutes total. Remove the squash from the pan and pour into a bowl.
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As the squash cooks, bring enough salted water to cover the brussels sprouts to a boil. Add the halved sprouts and cook until tender, about 5 to 6 minutes. Drain well and shake off excess water.
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Heat another tablespoon of oil over medium heat using the same pan. Place the blanched sprouts cut side down, and sear until nicely browned, about 3 minutes.
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Turn over and sprinkle sprouts with ½ teaspoon of salt and cook for an additional 3 minutes until browned. Reduce the heat to low and add the squash back to the pan, and the orange glaze. Season with more salt and pepper as desired.
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加入蔓越莓和山核桃之前rving. Serve warm and enjoy!
Equipment
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Claudia | The Brick Kitchensays
YES brussel sprouts are the best, aren’t they? Especially sautéed like this, and they go so well with other autumnal flavours like the honey glaze and pecans you have going on here. I haven’t used much butternut squash but it sounds like a lovely way to cook it, will have to give it a go! <3
Jessica Gavinsays
I am LOVING brussels sprouts right now! I really like the combination of earthy, sweet and salty. Sweet potatoes are a good substitute too
Rachel @LittleChefBigAppetitesays
Yum, yum, and YUM! I just love this flavor combo!
Jessica Gavinsays
Thank you Rachel! I just saw your maple roasted brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes, a perfect healthy side!!!
Salliesays
Can I cook this Brussels sprout recipe in the InstaPot IF SO, FOR HOW LONG.
Jessica Gavinsays
I haven’t tried it yet, but if I would make a guess: Cook the butternut squash on the saute setting following the recipe, transfer to another pan, and then I would cook the brussels sprouts whole with 1 cup of water for 2 minutes on high pressure and then quick release. Drain the water and saute the brussel sprouts until lightly browned and add back in the squash to warm. Let me know how it goes!
Patricia Donnellansays
Can this be made ahead and frozen?
Jessica Gavinsays
Hi Patricia- I don’t see why you couldn’t make the brussels sprout and butternut squash, freeze them and then defrost the night before in the refrigerator (or in microwave), and reheat with the orange glaze. Let me know how it turns out