Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic & Cranberries

"I could eat these every night". Yes, those words came out of The Husband's mouth. Over brussels sprouts. And they've been mentioned several times since - and I just made them two nights ago!

This recipe comes from Ree Drummond - aka The Pioneer Woman.  Long before she had her book or Food Network show, I had stumbled upon her blog. I loved her story of how she met her husband and the life for her that followed.  But more importantly, for my cooking purposes anyways, she has some great recipes!

I really think that this is the kind of recipe that could easily turn a non brussels sprouts person into a big fan. They are that good! The balsamic gives them a great tang and provides a nice contrast to the sugar.  The addition of the cranberries adds another texture and works really well with the sprouts.  They also provide beautiful color.

A few quick notes:
- This recipe can easily be halved - or even cut in third (which is what I did)
- I added a sprinkling of sea salt at the end, which I think really helped everything pop.
- In my opinion, the key to making brussels sprouts good is getting a really good brown (almost char looking) on them.

Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic & Cranberries

3 pounds Brussels sprouts

1/2 cup olive oil

1 cup balsamic vinegar

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Trim/clean the Brussels sprouts, then cut them in half. Arrange on 2 baking sheets and toss with the olive oil. Roast until brown, 25 to 30 minutes.

Combine the balsamic vinegar and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and reduce until very thick.
Drizzle the balsamic reduction over the roasted sprouts, then sprinkle on the dried cranberries.