A quick & easy one-skillet meal with sautéed brussels sprouts as the star! Sausage, apples, pecans, and sweet potatoes are combined with brussels sprouts for a 30-minute dinner recipe perfect for a fall-time meal or any holiday gathering.

Let's talk brussels sprouts....
These sautéed brussels sprouts with sausage, apples, and pecans are definitely NOT the sprouts you heard about as a kid from the previous generations who had to eat them plain, boiled and waterlogged with maybe just a pinch of salt. These sprouts are dreamy and will have you asking for a second helping. And while this dish clearly has the essence of Fall, I'm breaking the seasonal rules and eating it this Spring too. I give you permission to do so as well.
I never ate brussels sprouts as a kid. There were a lot of other things I had to eat in the veggie genre that I wholeheartedly threw a fit about, but brussels sprouts were a veggie I never encountered. In fact, I didn't acknowledge the existence of these green mini cabbage resemblances until about two years ago when some friends came over for a shared dinner and threw a pan of these into my oven. It was one of those moments where you see a veggie with a bad rap enter your world unannounced and you're faced with two choices:
1.) politely allow the brussels plate to pass you by at the dinner table (even though you can see your friend is for some reason super excited about everyone eating them) which might either slightly hurt your friend's feelings or bring to light that you are not quite the foodie you think you are because you are unwilling to try new things or...
2.) you smile, dish up a pile on your plate, and act like brussels sprouts are a totally normal thing to eat even though you've never had one in your entire life.
I went for option #2 and it was literally a green eggs and ham moment. Yes, Sam I Am, I do love brussels sprouts. And I would eat them here or there. Especially when they are sautéed.

It's a one skillet meal!
The brussels sprouts in this dish are teamed up with sweet potatoes, shallots, Honeycrisp apples, pecans, and some mild chicken Italian sausage. A little balsamic vinegar and a generous serving of butter round out the dish. And of course, top it off with some finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
It's a one-skillet, sweet and savory medley that comes together in just about 30 minutes. Delicious dinner that's quick, easy and provides minimal clean-up? Um, YES plz.


Even my non-veggie eating 6-year-old walked into the kitchen while I was cooking this up, looked the brussels sprouts squarely in the pan, looked up at me and said, "Mom, this smells sooo good. You make good food."
Whoa! Who switched out my daughter for this veggie-accepting imposter look alike?! She even ate some of the little green leafy's when her sister dared her to take an "adventure bite" at mealtime. And there was no nose crinkling or protests.
I think we're on to something here.

More tasty simple dinner recipes!
- One Pot Creamy Cajun Sausage Pasta a 30-minute meal!
- One Pot Game Day Chili make it vegan or con carne
- Gluten-Free Chicken & Veggie Soup hearty, nourishing, and comforting
Did You Make This Recipe?!
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment and a star rating below! I greatly appreciate your feedback and it is also so helpful for other PMST readers who are thinking about making the recipe. Remember to snap a photo and tag @passmesometasty on Instagram so I can see!
📖 Recipe

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Sausage, Apples, & Pecans
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
Description
A quick & easy one-skillet meal with sautéed brussels sprouts as the star! Sausage, apples, pecans, and sweet potatoes are combined with the sprouts for a 30-minute dinner recipe perfect for a fall-time meal or any holiday gathering.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ lb. ground mild chicken Italian sausage
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 large shallot, finely diced
- 2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 dozen brussels sprouts, stems removed & halved
- 2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- pinch of ground black pepper
- 1 Honeycrisp apple, cored and diced
- ½ cup pecans, coarsely chopped
- finely grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large frying pan. Add sausage, breaking it into smaller pieces while cooking, and cook until browned. Remove sausage from pan and set aside.
- In same pan used to cook the sausage, add 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add shallot and balsamic vinegar. Cook until shallots are just beginning to brown and are slightly caramelized.
- Add brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, 2 tablespoons butter, salt and pepper. Cook about 10-12 minutes until brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes begin to brown on edges and become tender.
- Once the brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes are mostly cooked, return sausage to pan and add diced apple, chopped pecans, and remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
- Cook for 3-5 minutes, just until sausage is heated through and apples are slightly softened.
- Serve and top with finely grated parmesan cheese.
Equipment
Notes
The equipment section above contains affiliate links to products I use or recommend.
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Pan Roast
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Keywords: brussels sprouts, pan roasted brussels sprouts, brussels sprouts with sausage, holiday side dish, gluten-free side dish
Disclaimer: All brand recommendations are purely my own opinion. I am in no way sponsored by the brands mentioned or compensated by the brand for my recommendations. This post may also contain affiliate links from which I may receive a small commission (without any additional costs to you). The money earned from these commissions helps me to maintain this website. Thank you for your support!
jessi
Love this so delicious dish!!! Great combination of healthy and colorful ingredients. Thanks for sharing:)
Shannon
My pleasure Jessi! Thanks for letting me know that you enjoyed this recipe!
Hillary
I only made a partial recipe with the ingredients I already had...and it was great as it was, without the sausage or the apple, but I bet those make it. I cannot wait to make it again...properly!
Shannon
Yay! I'm glad you enjoyed it even without the apple and sausage even though those two ingredients are definitely a good excuse to make it again! ; )
Sophie
I tried this recipe and it turned out great.
It was simple and nutritious:-)
thanks!
Shannon
Thanks for your comment Sophie! I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed it! <3
Jenna
So yummy!!! I couldn't find an Italian sausage equivalent over here, so just did ground chicken. I can only imagine how much more delicious it would be with those spices! Definitely will be making this again!
Shannon
Hi Jenna! I'm so glad you liked it! Next time you make it, you could try mixing in some black pepper, dried parsley, garlic powder, dried red pepper flakes, crushed dried fennel seeds, paprika, and some salt into your ground chicken and it should get you pretty close to having your own Italian sausage. ???? Hope your move went well. You've been missed!
Anna
Just tried this tonight. Delish! Thanks for the recipe and inspiration. I added Chevre Herbed Cheese because we ran out of Parmesan and it was really good!
Shannon
Thanks Anna! And herbed cheese sounds dreamy! But really, any cheese is basically awesome right? ; )
Lindsay
This is soooooo good!! Anything with brussel sprouts in it has my interest, but the way the different flavors work together is heaven!
Shannon
I'm so glad you enjoyed it Lindsay! : )
Joseph
This not only looks amazing, but tasted great too! What a scrumptious way to end the day.