Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Wild Rice Side Dish
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Move over creamed corn! A new side dish is taking the dinner table by storm! Crispy, caramelized roasted Brussels sprouts and tender bites of sweet potato are paired with wild rice and drizzled with savory-tangy maple dijon dressing. The ideal anytime side dish and a welcomed addition to the array of holiday side dishes!
Sometimes I could eat a whole meal with just side dishes. Here are some of our favorites: Creamy Cucumber and Onion Salad, Sauteed Green Beans With Bacon, and Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes. No good side is “left behind;” for my Creamed Corn lovers, especially since it’s a no-fuss crockpot recipe!
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Table of Contents
Why We Love Roasted Brussels Sprouts And Sweet Potatoes Side Dish
- Besides being an absolutely yummy recipe with wild rice, a roasted veggie side is a tasty addition to any meal!
- Roasting vegetables increases their sweetness by caramelizing natural sugars.
- No one will feel guilty about having seconds of this heart-healthy, nutrient-packed side dish!
- This recipe with wild rice and roasted veggies is a delicious and welcomed addition to traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas side dishes!
- Makes an exceptional power bowl lunch when you add shredded rotisserie chicken or grilled breast to leftovers.
- A tangy, savory-sweet taste sensation that surprises even the take-it-or-leave-it veggie critic.
Ingredients For Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Roasted Sweet Potatoes, & Wild Rice
- Brussels Sprouts – trimmed and quartered. I like to give Brussels sprouts a good swish with veggie wash; rinse, drain, and allow to dry. Trim the woody stem and remove marked or damaged outer leaves.
- Sweet Potatoes – peeled and cubed. The size of the roasted sweet potato should be cubed to a uniform thickness and approximate size to the Brussels sprouts.
- Salt & Pepper
- Olive Oil – is the key ingredient for properly roasted vegetables. The best way to ensure crispy Brussels sprouts is to get all the pieces evenly coated. Be careful though, too much oil and they won’t get crispy.
- Cooked Brown Or Wild Rice – make-ahead or pre-cooked rice is an easy step. I use Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice, Whole Grain Medly; pop it in the microwave, and you’re ready to rock!
- Maple Dijon Dressing – (Recipe Below)
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How To Make Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Sweet Potatoes, & Maple Dijon Mustard
Easy prep, simple ingredients, and lots of “wow” factor take boring and blasé Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes to bold and bite-worthy! All you need to create this appetizing side dish is a large bowl, spatula (or food prep gloves), baking sheet, parchment paper, and a pretty serving bowl.
(full printable recipe at the end of this post)
- Toss Brussels sprouts, oil, and seasonings until completely coated, then arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Do the same thing for the roasted sweet potatoes.
- Roast sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts on the bottom rack for 20-25 minutes
- Transfer the roasted brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes to a serving dish, add rice, and drizzle with maple dijon dressing.
Dijon Dressing For Wild Rice & Roasted Vegetables
Quick, easy, and convenient to throw together at the last minute; a perfect dressing for roasted sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts! Grab a whisk, salad cruet, lidded jar, or blender to make maple dijon vinaigrette magic!
Vigorously mix dijon mustard, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and salt and pepper, and serve. Store leftovers in the fridge.
Check out the Dijon Mustard Dressing article for more detailed information.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- If the Brussels sprouts are on the small side, you can halve them instead of quartering. Be sure to arrange the cut side on the baking sheet for a soft, tender middle and crispy outside.
- One of the easiest ways to get a good oil coating on all the roasted vegetables is to throw them into a gallon ziptop bag, seal it, and mix.
- Want to ensure crispier Brussels sprouts? Preheat the baking sheet before roasting them.
- Resist the idea of covering this side dish with foil or a lid to keep it warm, or you may lose the roasted/crispy edges.
- Put the roasted veggie dish in a warm oven, toaster oven, or on a warmer burner.
How To Store This Roasted Brussels Sprouts Side Dish
If you won’t be serving the entire sweet potato and brussels sprout recipe at one time, refrigerate or freeze the unused portion without the dijon mustard dressing.
Refrigerate/Leftovers
Store roasted veggies with wild rice for two, maybe three days, in an airtight container.
Reheat
To re-crisp, let brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes take the chill off, roast in a 425-450 degree oven for 5 minutes, and regularly check until crisped but not burned. For smaller amounts, use a toaster oven on the air fryer setting (if you have it); that works great and saves energy.
Reheat Option 2: Sometimes, the obvious works best! Swirl some EVOO in a frying pan, and quick-saute the roasted vegetables on med-high.
Freeze
Opinions are all over the place on this one, but I think they freeze quite well, depending on what you want to use them for later. This roasted brussels sprouts side dish recipe is an ideal way to “veg-up” any hearty soup recipe.
Variations For Roasted Brussels Sprouts And Sweet Potato Side Dish
There aren’t a whole lot of ways you need to dress up roasted veggies with rice. The lovely caramelized sugars and savory sweet dijon dressing are joined in a delicious flavor harmony. Just in case you want to ramp it up a touch, here are a few extra holiday side dish ideas:
- Carrots, butternut squash, fresh pumpkin chunks, or a medley of fingerling potatoes can sub in for roasted sweet potatoes.
- Love, love, love roasting garlic cloves with the veggies for an added buttery garlic flavor.
- No one gets upset about smokey applewood bacon bits or chunks of salty, crispy pancetta. Roast right alongside the veggies.
- Use any cooked grain you prefer; rice, quinoa, or couscous. The “ready rice,” like Uncle Ben’s, is simple to prepare and adds a nice touch of seasoning.
- Steering clear of extra carbs? Eliminate the rice and toss in some toasted walnuts or pecans.
- As an extra special treat, chestnuts are a lovely addition to this Christmas dinner side dish.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts And Sweet Potatoes FAQs
No. Or yes, depending on your cooking style. If you do, you need to allow them to drain and dry thoroughly. Blanching sweet potatoes over parboiling is usually preferred, so they don’t overcook when roasting. Remember, wet veggies steam instead of roasting. NOTE: I don’t blanch or parboil for this recipe.
It could be a couple of things. If they aren’t evenly coated with oil, they will dry out. This may sound contrary to what I just said. Still, you actually want roasted Brussels sprouts to “steam” slightly (from their own water content) within the oil coating so the inside is tender.
That’s why placing them cut-side down is so important, and the outer leaves will lift and crisp. If you are stressed to impress with this side dish, I do think allowing them to soak in salt water truly enhances the flavor and outcome of roasting them. You can blanch Brussels sprouts in salted water but spread them out on paper towels or a rack, but they need to dry.
Not if you are using frozen Brussels sprouts. Fresh Brussels sprouts don’t need to be blanched. It depends on your style of food prep, but most importantly, how much you (or your guests) enjoy the taste of those perky little wanna-be cabbages. If someone is sensitive to the bitterness* in Brussels sprouts, stack the odds in their favor to enjoy this veggie side dish by blanching.
*Keep in mind that it is genetic for those with a genuine aversion to Brussels sprouts and cruciferous vegetables – nothing will work for these “super-tasters!”
Brussels sprouts shouldn’t touch when roasting and MUST be coated with oil. A preheated baking sheet is a trick that puts a nice little sear on the cut side and assists the cooking process in softening the inside while the outside crisps.
Roasted Brussels sprouts get mushy when the heat is too low. The worst offender is when roasted vegetables aren’t spread out enough. Vegetables have a lot of water content released during the roasting process, and when overlapped, you have steamed veggies!
Serving Suggestions
Combine roasted brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes with my Fall Harvest Salad, with or without the roasted butternut squash, and make a nutrient-packed powerhouse salad!
You can’t go wrong adding roasted vegetables and maple mustard dressing as a Christmas dinner side or any holiday side dish.
Wild rice with brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes pair wonderfully with an Apricot & Honey Glazed Ham.
Using up frozen or leftover roasted sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts is a flavorful way to add sturdiness and thicken soup when pureed.
We’d love to know if this Roasted Brussels Sprouts And Sweet Potatoes With Wild Rice recipe makes an appearance as one of your holiday side dishes this year! It’s on our table a few times a month this time of year!
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Roasted Brussels Sprouts And Sweet Potatoes With Wild Rice
Crispy, caramelized roasted Brussels sprouts and tender bites of sweet potato are paired with wild rice and drizzled with savory-tangy maple dijon dressing. The ideal anytime side dish and a welcomed addition to the array of holiday side dishes!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
- 2 large sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup cooked brown or wild rice (I like to use the Unlce Bens Whole Grain Medly)
Maple Dijon Dressing
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup (or honey)
- 1 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Whisk all of the ingredients for the maple dijon dressing using a small whisk or fork to combine all the ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Preheat oven to 425°F and line a large baking sheet (I use a half-sheet pan) with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl toss Brussels sprouts and oil; season with salt and black pepper. Arrange brussels sprouts cut side down on one half of the prepared baking sheet.
- Using the same bowl with the remaining oil, repeat the same process with sweet potatoes. Add a little more oil if there’s not enough to cover all the potatoes. Arrange the sweet potatoes on the other half of the baking sheet.
- Roast the veggies on the bottom rack of the preheated oven until softened and deeply browned about 20–25 minutes. TIP: we love slightly charred brussels sprouts.
- Transfer roasted brussels sprouts and sweet potato to a large bowl, add cooked rice, and stir well. Drizzle with maple dijon dressing and serve warm
Notes
Use any kind of cooked grain you prefer; rice, quinoa, or couscous. The Unlce Bens Whole Grain Medly that I like is brown and wild rice with herbs and spices. It’s quick and super easy.
Refrigerate: Store roasted veggies with wild rice for two, maybe three days, in an airtight container.
Reheat: To re-crisp, let brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes take the chill off, roast in a 425-450 degree oven for 5 minutes, and regularly check until crisped but not burned. For smaller amounts, use a toaster oven on the air fryer setting (if you have it); that works great and saves energy.
Reheat Option 2: Sometimes, the obvious works best! Swirl some EVOO in a frying pan, and quick-saute the roasted vegetables on med-high.
Freezing: Opinions are all over the place on this one, but I think they freeze quite well, depending on what you want to use them for later. This roasted brussels sprouts side dish recipe is an ideal way to “veg-up” any hearty soup recipe.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 232Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 597mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 7gSugar: 9gProtein: 6g
*NOTE: this is figured without the dressing. Nutrition information is estimated based on the ingredients and cooking instructions as described in each recipe and is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Please note that nutrition details may vary based on methods of preparation, origin, and freshness of ingredients used and are just estimates. We encourage, especially if these numbers are important to you, to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.
Hi there, I'm Cheryl!
As a wife, mom, and caffeine enthusiast, my journey has taken me from bustling mornings with my family to sharing delicious recipes, home care tips, and heartfelt decorating insights with wonderful readers like you. My love for baking, photography, and tidiness shines through every post I craft. Dive into my world and discover the art of homemaking, one tidy moment at a time. Read more...
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