Root vegetables, like Brussels sprouts, carrots and onions, grow underground. Even though a lot of vegetables are available year-round, some just taste better in their true peak season, like Brussels sprouts, which are harvested in the fall. Red onion and carrots, on the other hand, grow throughout the year, but the flavors and textures can change depending on the season. In October through November, red onions are known for having a sharper and spicier flavor. And carrots are known for having a sweeter taste when harvested after the temperatures drops. Together, red onion, carrots, and Brussels sprouts make a great trio, especially when caramelized and then baked with Hillshire Farm smoked sausage and Honeycrisp apples.

The Honeycrisp apples and root vegetables in this sheet-pan recipe contain sugar (like most fruits and vegetables). When the sugar is exposed to heat, compounds are released that change the flavors and darkens the color of the vegetables, giving them a sweet, creamy and buttery flavor. Caramelizing smoked sausage doesn’t make it taste sweeter, but when the sausage bakes alongside caramelized Honeycrisp apples and root vegetables, the complex sweet and smoky flavors blend together perfectly.