Roasted Brussels sprouts are unbelievably delicious in themselves. But drizzle on a glossy black balsamic glaze and toss them with a bunch of tart-and-sweet dried cranberries? Fugghetaboutit, and I’m not even joking.

I eat these till I bloat. But in a really good way.

I made quite a bit, so started with three pounds of Brussels sprouts. You can easily halve this recipe if you’d like! Just clean and trim the sprouts…or buy them already trimmed and cleaned if you have a supermarket that carries them in that blessed form. Then arrange them on two baking sheets (or one if you’re halving.) For the Christmas special, I halved them; for this post, I kept them whole. Either way is pretty and delicious!

Drizzle the Brussels sprouts liberally with olive oil, then sprinkle with plenty of salt and pepper. Roast them in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until they start to get nice and dark in color.

While the sprouts are roasting, combine balsamic vinegar with a little sugar in a small saucepan. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook it for 15 to 20 minutes, or until it’s nice and rich and thick.

Note: You do not have to add sugar to the balsamic in order for it to reduce and thicken. The sugar gives the dish a nice sweetness in this case, but it’s not essential! The balsamic is really the star of the show. 

Right before serving, heap the roasted Brussels sprouts on a big ol’ platter. Look at the blackish brownish greenish gorgeousness!

Throw a whole buncha dried cranberries on top…

Then just drizzle on the balsamic glaze…

And use tongs to toss ‘em around.

Serve ‘em with your Christmas beef, turkey, ham…or whatever you’re serving up!

This dish is a delicious as it is gorgeous.

Here’s the handy printable:

Recipe: Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic and Cranberries

Ingredients

• 3 pounds Brussels Sprouts
• 1/2 cup Olive Oil
• Salt And Pepper
• 1 cup Balsamic Vinegar
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1 cup Dried Cranberries

Preparation Instructions