Cranberry and Pecan Stuffed Brussels Sprouts

Have you been invited to a party and you’re wondering what to bring? Cranberry and pecan stuffed Brussels sprouts, that’s what. If it sounds a little crazy to stuff Brussels sprouts, just wait until you try this amazing recipe. You’ll see how easy it is and then wow your friends (and yourself) with a delicious and fancy-looking appetizer that you just whipped up. 

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Brussels sprouts are an amazing food. They are cute little green heads of goodness that you can cook in all sorts of wonderful ways. Best thing: my kids don’t care for them, which means more for me. Muahahahaha! I’m good with that. 

You can do all sorts of things with these little green goodies such as sautéing them in olive oil and garlic salt (my go-to), chopping them up raw for salads, or roasting them with root veggies. My favorite way right now though is these amazingly delicious appetizers, also known as “Mom’s Lunch.” 

Cranberry and Pecan Stuffed Brussels Sprouts

First thing’s first, set a pot of water to boil for blanching the sprouts. If you don’t yet have any cooked bacon, you might want to set those on to cook as well. Then wash your sprouts well and trim off the stems. Cut them in half lengthwise, keeping the outer leaves in tact as best you can. 

Drop in a pot of near-boiling or boiling water with the cut side down and blanch for about 1-2 minutes. Don’t overcook them! These will be roaster later. We’re just trying to loosen them up a bit so that we can scoop them out easier, as well as make them that bright and happy green color. 

Spoon out your halved sprouts and set them aside to cool while you make the filling. The filling uses a cream cheese base and can be made dairy-free by using Daiya cream cheese. Daiya has more zing than regular cream cheese, but that works well with this recipe and balances out the sweetness of the nuts and cranberries. If you are using regular cream cheese, you can make it a little easier to work with by heating it up. You can also change things up by adding some ricotta.

Mix 8 ounces of cream cheese with 1/2 cup chopped cranberries, 1/2 cup chopped pecans, and 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions (you might want to chop a bit more of the green onions for garnish). Add 1 or more teaspoons of garlic salt to taste. 

To prepare a Brussel sprout for filling, take one and gently pull the leaves back around the edges to loosen things up so the center will pop out easier. Then take a paring knife and carefully cut at the base of where the leaves meet the white middle part. Take a look at the photo for an idea of where I cut them. I slice them in and at an angle, right about where I’ll want to scoop out the center. Use your fingers to separate the center from the rest of the sprout and pop it out. When you’ve removed all the centers, chop them up and mix them into the filling!

Place your sprouts on a baking sheet and fill them up. I don’t overfill them because otherwise they tend to topple and my filling runs out faster. Once you’ve filled the sprouts, put them in the oven and bake at 400 for about 18-20 minutes or until the tops just begin to crisp up. 

Arrange your delicious cranberry and pecan stuffed brussels sprouts on a tray and sprinkle them with bacon pieces! You can also add some of the chopped sprouts and green onions as a garnish. 

Enjoy! (But try not to eat them all before the party.)