These Roasted Sweet Potato & Brussels Sprouts are pretty special. Roasted to perfection, they’re gorgeous as is, but you’ll want to take these one step further: Finish them off with a sweet, tart White Balsamic Vinaigrette.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Brussels Sprouts
The high-temperature roasting caramelizes the natural sugars in the potatoes as it transforms the Brussels Sprouts into utter deliciousness. And best of all it’s super easy and a cinch to pull off!
About Roasted Sweet Potato & Brussels Sprouts:
There’s one super important part of the recipe, the one that’s going to make you completely forget you’re eating healthy vegetables: The White Balsamic & Honey Vinaigrette that’s drizzled over the veggies as they come out, hot, from the oven.
The slightly sweet, slightly tart flavor of the vinaigrette brightens up the whole dish and is a perfect complement to what could otherwise, for some people at least, be a bit on the (well, I hafta say it coz I know not everyone gets as excited about sweet potatoes and Brussels as much as I do) duller side of the spectrum. I mean roasted veggies are good but they are a little “earthy.”
If you tend to find yourself avoiding some of the root and heartier fall vegetables like Brussels or some of the squashes, try this vinaigrette on any of them, too. You don’t have to limit yourself to using it for just this one recipe. It keeps well in the fridge so don’t be afraid to double or triple it.
This is another of the dishes a friend and I made last week the same day we did the Broccoli, Ham & Cheese Quiche. Another fun recipe was the Copycat Panera Steak & White Cheddar Paninis. Those, we made from my 30 Minute Instant Pot Roast. (We divided the spoils and you can see below under Storing and Reheating, I got some mileage out of these veggies and had a fabulous leftover meal.)
What to Serve the Veggies With:
Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Brussels Sprouts vegetables are a fantastic side for just about everything; the flavor is a great complement to anything from chicken breasts to pork chops to roast beef.
They’re also a fab vegetarian meal when combined with any number of items. You might wish to serve it over yogurt, polenta, rice, barley, or any other grains. A few white beans or braised chickpeas can up the protein.
These are easy enough to cook for any old weeknight, but they’d be perfect at an Autumn, Fall, or Winter dinner party or as a Thanksgiving or Christmas side.
If you’re thinking Meal Prep, you couldn’t go wrong with a tray of Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts to go along with what you’re making. They’re so versatile.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Brussels Sprouts
Making Roasted Sweet Potato & Brussels Sprouts:
I have a little “trick” up my sleeve for roasting any type of potatoes; it’s an extra step but knocks off oven time & the potatoes brown up crispy and delish. Par cook those potatoes, after they’ve been cut a few minutes in the microwave. Add just a little water, maybe 1/2 cup or so, cover with plastic wrap and cook for several minutes until the edges are becoming soft and gummy.
Be sure not to crowd your pan; use two if needed and rotate them top to bottom, front to back if it looks as if they are not cooking evenly.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Brussels Sprouts
Options:
Use this recipe as a template for other vegetables, if these don’t suit:
- Try this recipe with other root vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, rutabagas, or a combination. Fall/winter squashes like butternut will be great, too.
- Use another vinaigrette, if desired. The choice of white balsamic rather than dark is purely aesthetic; the dark would give a muddled color to the vegetables. If that isn’t a concern, use either balsamic but remember, you eat with your eyes first.
- Originally we were going to add Candied Pecans (or maybe walnuts) to these veggies. We spaced it, so I tossed a few dried cherries. Their slightly sweet flavor played so well with the dressing. If you’d rather, pomegranate seed or dried cranberries would be just as good.
Storing and Reheating:
First of all, it’s worth noting that this is a great make-ahead dish. You’ll want to prepare the day ahead, let it sit at room temperature for a bit, and then reheat it in the oven. Full directions are in the recipe.
Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to five days; store any leftover vinaigrette in a separate container for several weeks. The vinaigrette should be stored in the door, which isn’t as cool as the rest of the fridge. You might wish to increase the vinaigrette recipe so you have extra to keep!
The veggies reheat beautifully in the microwave or in a dry, warm skillet; the vinaigrette does contain olive oil which will thicken and/or become solid at refrigerator temperatures. Leave on the counter, run warm water over the container, or carefully microwave in short bursts until liquid, but not hot.
Refashion your leftovers by serving over polenta as shown, or in a bowl or salad. Any leftover veggies are great for meal prep. You may want to make this recipe specifically for meal prepping.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Brussels Sprouts, Dried Cherries, and a White Balsamic Honey Vinaigrette
Saving Money on Roasted Sweet Potato & Brussels Sprouts:
- Making this dish with in-season vegetables makes all the difference in the price.
- You may choose to make this dish when you see either Brussels sprouts or Sweet Potatoes on sale. It’s a good policy when any of these longer-lasting veggies (especially the sweet potatoes) are on sale to pick up extra and use them in multiple dishes.
- Check your discount stores like Aldi or Lifl for great prices on both Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes.
- Shop around during the fall while all the great sales prior to Thanksgiving and Christmas are on for items like nuts and dried fruit. The prices are fabulous and it’s a great time to stock up for the year. Your big box stores like Costco and Sam’s often have great prices year around. If you’d like to see what’s likely to be on a deep sale prior to any holiday, check out my post, Win at the Grocers. Scroll to the bottom for a link to every great food holiday.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Brussels Sprouts
Roasted Sweet Potato & Brussels Sprouts
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings 1x
- Category: Vegetable Side
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 medium-sized sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces, about 1/2” dice
- 1 pound Brussels Sprouts, halved if small, quartered if larger (trim a bit from the stem and cut through the root end)
- 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- White Balsamic Honey Vinaigrette, below
- 1/2 cup or more of either: Candied Pecans or walnuts, dried cherries, dried cranberries, or pomegranate seeds
Instructions
Position rack in top third of oven and preheat to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet or two with foil and spray or oil it.
In a large microwave-safe bowl, add diced potatoes and two or three tablespoons water. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave for five minutes. Remove, carefully open the wrap, stir, replace wrap and microwave for two to three more minutes until potatoes are partially cooked and the edges look a little soft and “gummy.” Drain.
Place Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts on prepared tray. Drizzle with olive, salt and pepper, and thyme to taste. Toss. Spread into a single layer. If vegetables won’t fit on a single tray in a single layer, use two.
Place in oven and bake until the potatoes and Brussels sprouts have started picking up color, about 20 minutes. Stir and continue to roast until vegetables are cooked to your liking, tender and browned in spots, 10 to 15 minutes longer. If using two trays, rotate from top and bottom and front to back for even roasting. If vegetables are finished cooking and not caramelized to your liking, turn on the broiler for a minute or two.
Remove from oven and drizzle with White Balsamic & Honey Vinaigrette, taste for seasoning, and add more salt or pepper as needed. Toss with nuts, dried cherries, dried cranberries, or pomegranate seeds.
Serve warm or at room temperature. Can be made ahead a day and refrigerated. Let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes and rewarm in a 350°F oven about 15 minutes.
White Balsamic Vinaigrette:
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons White Balsamic
- pinch of salt and pepper
Whisk ingredients together. Taste and adjust by adding more honey, vinegar, or salt and pepper as desired.
Keywords: Balsamic Vinegar, Brussels Sprouts, Candied Pecans, dried cherries, dried cranberries, Dried Fruit, hearty sides, Honey, nuts, Pecans, pomegranate, Salad Dressings, sheet tray, sides, Sweet potato, Vinegar, walnuts, white balsamic vinegar
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