Of course one of the first foodie posts has to be an ode to FALL. Above is my little pumpkin from last year.
Fall is my favorite time of the year. It used to be summer, but as I get older, I’ve learned to love the cooler temperatures, cozy leggings and scarves, and all of the yummy goodness that comes with this time of year. Although I will admit, I’m not a PSL fan. I know, I will probably lose some of you over that statement, but I just can’t get into the hype. Nevertheless, I wanted to share with you one of my favorite fall recipes. This side dish is a perfect accompaniment for your Thanksgiving feast, but can also be put together (yes, it’s more of an assembly meal than actual cooking, so any of you can do it) for a potluck or served alongside a grocery store rotisserie chicken for a scrumptious dinner.
Sweet & Salty Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash
This recipe is adopted from Julia’s Album, and linked above. I found it for Thanksgiving a few years ago and it has since become a staple every holiday. It’s a simple recipe and requires very little cooking knowledge or experience, but makes people think you spent time more than what it actually takes. The colors are beautiful and represent the hues of fall – red, green, orange, yellow, brown – I love it!
Personally, I am not a huge recipe follower, which is why I love to cook, and not bake. A little of this and that and you can’t go wrong. However, I follow this recipe fairly closely. The only minor adjustment I make (and maybe this will win back some of those PSL lovers) is the addition of BACON. Everything is better with bacon. For the brussels sprouts, sub out 1 TBSP of EVOO for 1 TBSP of the bacon drippings reserved from the cooked bacon. Then add the crumbled bacon at the end with the dried cranberries and walnuts. Yep, I prefer chopped walnuts over pecans, but you do you. Also, I do not add the extra syrup at the end as I find it makes it too sweet. Last thing, make your life easy and buy the pre-cubed butternut squash in the produce section at the grocery store. You can use the time you would have spent sawing a butternut squash drinking wine. You’re welcome! Enjoy!
charlottecajunqueen.com 