Balsamic Brussels Sprouts with Maple, Walnuts and Feta
Thanksgiving eating demands focus, discipline, and careful allocation of stomach real estate. No matter how tempting the dips or tasty the cheese tray, the promise of sides such as Balsamic Brussels Sprouts with Maple, Walnuts, and Feta keep my pre-meal grazing in line.
Once the buffet line opens, however, better watch my pointy elbows—with sweet potatoes, cranberries, and these fabulous Balsamic Brussels sprouts up for scooping, I’m guaranteed to lose my sense of restraint.
Lightly crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and coated with a sweet and tangy balsamic vinegar + maple syrup glaze, Balsamic Brussels Sprouts with Maple, Walnuts, and Feta are one of my absolute favorite fall side dishes. In fact, they were one of the first recipes to appear on this blog.
With Thanksgiving meal planning all aflutter I thought today would be the ideal opportunity to dust this recipe from the archives (I posted it two years ago, nearly to the day), give it a photo makeover, and celebrate one of my favorite seasonal ingredients, Brussels sprouts. Plus, I just wanted to eat them again.
Although I love Brussels sprouts every which way (ahem, Brussels Sprouts Bacon Pizza), I’ve found this recipe to be the one that even Brussels sprouts skeptics enjoy. Tossing the Brussels sprouts in balsamic vinegar and maple syrup prior to roasting gives them an addictive, caramely coating as they bake, and a sprinkle of salty feta and toasty walnuts adds creaminess, warmth, and crunch.
One of the reasons that I love Thanksgiving so dearly it is that it is a celebration of blessings. Friends and family gather around the table without distraction. The focus of the holiday is each other and of course, the food! My favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner is the sides, and part of why I adore them so much is that they are a reflection of the bounty of the season: squash, potatoes, cranberries, and of course…Brussels sprouts.
Every month, nature gives us new fruits and vegetables to enjoy at the peak of their freshness, a beautiful, wonderful blessing. My friend Becky of The Vintage Mixer and her husband Josh are so dedicated to this idea, that every month, they publish a fantastic seasonal produce guide, along with beautiful images you can save to your desktop and phone to remind you to eat what’s in season. (Find November’s here.)
Becky also organizes a team of #eatseasonal bloggers, who I am so excited to be joining for the first time this month. We’ve put together an entire Thanksgiving feast, focused on seasonal ingredients. Find the recipes below and join our virtual potluck by tagging your seasonal food instagrams with #eatseasonal. We’ll regram our favorites every Monday and some Tuesdays too.
When cold weather hits, it’s easy to mourn the loss of summer fruits and veggies, but recipes like Maple Balsamic Brussels Sprouts are an inspiring reminder of how much bounty is to be found right here, right now. It’s enough to fill a Thanksgiving table, second helpings included.
Balsamic Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts and Feta
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Brussels sprouts, — discolored leaves removed and cut in half
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2/3 cup roughly chopped walnuts — toasted
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat oven to 400°F. Toss Brussels sprouts with maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread in a single layer on a large baking sheet.
- Roast 35-40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, stirring once or twice to promote even browning. Remove from pan, toss with walnuts and feta, and serve.
Did you try this recipe? I want to see! Follow Well Plated on Instagram, snap a photo, and tag it #wellplated. I love to know what you are making!
We’re having an #eatseasonal Thanksgiving potluck! Add these seasonal holiday recipes to your Thanksgiving menu:
Appetizers
- Autumn Acorn Squash Pita “Nachos” with Pomegranates & Blue Cheese by Climbing Grier Mountain
- Thai Curried Butternut Squash Soup by Cookie and Kate
Turkey and Gravy
- Proscuitto Wrapped Turkey with Gravy by Vintage Mixer (with seasonal herbs of course!)
Sides
- Secrets to the best mashed potatoes by Simple Bites
- Root Veggie Mash by Mountain Mama Cooks
- Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad by Two Peas and Their Pod
- Thanksgiving Couscous with Butternut Squash, Sausage, Kale, Manchego, Dried Fruits and Nuts by Project Domestication
- Miso Roasted Butternut Squash by Foodie Crush
Desserts
- Apple Pear Praline Pie by Completely Delicious
- Cranberry Sauce Slab Pie by Kitchen Confidante
- GF Cranberry Lemon Curd Tart with Gingersnap Crust by Cafe Johnsonia
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Another great recipe! Love brussels for the holidays.
I can never have enough brussels sprouts. Sadly, my family doesn’t like them (they are crazy). But I’m going to force them upon them at Thanksgiving this year. I’m so nice!
Love me some brussels sprouts! I swear they’re the ‘in’ thing now. I remember the days when everyone was like ‘eww’ and I’m sitting here stuffing my face with them. I LOVE the feta cheese you sprinkled on top. That extra salty bite with the tangy balsamic is the perfect combo!!
haha, I know your pointy elbows! And I know you know how to use them! :)
The sides are totally my favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal. Even more so than dessert, which is rare for me! There are so many amazing flavors in this dish! I bet the brussels sprouts are irresistible with the maple syrup and balsamic.
Balsamic brussels are a household favorite round these parts. We roast them about once a week! Yours look uhmazing, and I’m just loving the addition of maple syrup & walnuts! Pinned :)
Perfect side dish for the holidays!
Dude, I heart Brussel Sprouts!! And I am so happy you are a part of the eat seasonal circle of love!!
Brussels sprouts are one of my most favorite veggies. Balsamic is always a good route to take.
Ahhhh this is TOTALLY mind kind of dish!! I made one similar with cranberries and sweet potatoes not too long ago, I could eat this sort of meal for the rest of my life — great recipe :)
Love this recipe! I would have to add my pointy elbows to your buffet line to fight for these, Erin!
I am going to have to make these! I love plain roasted Brussels sprouts, but adding balsamic and feta to the mix would make them even better. I think my husband would even like them. This could easily become a routine Thanksgiving dish for me.
Cheese, balsamic vinegar, and maple syrup can make a Brussels sprouts believer out of anyone :-) Thank you so much!
I’m also an eat-brussels-sprouts-any-which-way-I-can-get-them kind of person, but I can totally see how even the non-lovers would go gaga over these! Balsamic glaze. Feta. Walnuts. Ahhhh…
I am glad you dusted off this recipe and brought it back as I missed it the first time – I adore brussels sprouts – love this version with maple syrup!
YES! Brussels sprouts are my favorite Thanksgiving side dish! Love the addition of walnuts and brussels sprouts in here!
Mmmm! These look great…I love the maple and of course, the feta! Eating seasonally is so fun…it’s the perfect excuse to try new fruits and veggies :)
I’m with you, the sides are where it’s at! And glad you were able to do a two-fer: new pics and an almost new post!
Wow this is awesome. I find that it’s hard to make brussels sprouts actually good but when they’re good — they’re REALLY Good. This one sounds like it’d be REALLY good ;)
Such a perfect side dish! Definitely worthy of a spot in the Thanksgiving buffet!
Erin, I love roasting my brussels sprouts this way. . so good!! and yes to eating seasonally. . it’s the only way, yo.
Love the sound of these brussel sprouts!!! I too am a grazer, so the more sides the better, definitely need to jazz up the line a little bit and bring this dish!
This is a great healthy Thanksgiving dish! It looks beautiful and delicious :)
The sides are my favorite part too! I bet the sweetness of the maple syrup pairs beautifully with the brussel sprouts here! Adding this to the list of recipes!
Oh brussels sprouts and balsamic are what dreams are made of!
I cannot ever get enough brussels sprouts! I absolutely love them, so naturally, I cannot wait to try this variation. Thanks, Erin!
LOOOVVEEE brussels sprouts :) looks great!
I love when the sides are as fabulous as any main meat feature – this looks like a winner! I’ve become a huge brussels fan…wish I could convince the rest of my familiy :)
Love all of the flavors and textures in this!! I heart Brussels. So bad.
I’m yet to have my first Thanksgiving! Especially if this is the kind of food served – huge Brussels sprouts fan over here!
Think I need to plan a trip to America that very happily coincides with this time of year!
{Teffy’s Perks} X
I may just have to change my regular brussels routine for this!!! Love it!
Yum!! My family always loved brussel sprouts at Thanksgiving. Maybe I can use this to convince my husband’s family to love them too!
My husband thought that he hated them until he tried this recipe Ali! It’s amazing what some maple syrup and balsamic vinegar can do. The cheese doesn’t hurt either :-)
Sooooo, I can’t handle the taste of Brussels sprouts, as a child I used to chew them (very begrudgingly – eyes watering and all) and then stuff them behind my dads recliner. Tried one a few months back and honestly, I reckon they still belong behind the recliner. LOL I do love addition of the feta and nuts tho, I shall try your snazzy recipe and let ya know. Thanks Erin. Happy week ahead to you. :)
I made a few changes to the recipe, which tasted great! First, I noticed that two 13 x 9 inch baking pans are needed to let the veggies lie flat. Second, instead of two pounds of Brussel sprouts, I used one pound each of Brussel sprouts and baby carrots. Third, I let cook through 45 minutes. Fourth, if you are not serving right away, then its better to add the feta and nuts just before serving and to add some more home made sauce (I used two tbs agave, two tbs olive oil, one tbs balsamic vinegar) which is slightly different proportions than in the recipe. Overall I liked this very much; felt it would be great for Thanksgiving; and it did get high marks from those I served. Thank you Erin!
Arthur, I’m so glad to hear this recipe was a hit for you. Thanks for leaving your review and notes too!