Ewwwwwww, brussel sprouts are gross!!
Why do brussels sprouts have such a bad rap? Is it because they, unlike spinach, never had a Popeye-like character to extol their virtues to the public? I have so much love for brussels sprouts, but when I offer to bring them over people generally look at me blankly or make a face. However, most people change their minds once they taste this delicious recipe that, in its simplest form, only has a few steps:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Cut the stems off brussels sprouts and then cut them in half. Spread on baking sheet.
- Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Pop into the oven for 30-40 minutes.
This is truly the simplest way to prepare brussels sprouts and the easiest way to make them delicious. Once you’ve mastered this (which won’t take long), then you can get creative! Some of my favorite ways to add a little extra:
- Cook several slices of bacon (I usually do about 5 slices per pound of sprouts) until almost done – before you would consider it ready for eating straing. Use kitchen shears to cut up into bits, and pour the bacon bits and all of the rendered fat from the pan onto the brussels sprouts. Make sure the fat is spread evenly, and supplement with olive oil if needed. Roast until delicious.
- Throw some chopped pecans in with the sprouts.
- Get those bags of shelled, pre-cooked chesnuts, chop into halves, and roast them alongside the sprouts.
- Put the sprouts in a cast iron skillet instead of a baking sheet, add butter, garlic, cheese, herbs, and anything else your heart desires.
- For people with a sweet tooth, try with some honey on top. Here’s a great recipe!
Now these are just some variations I’ve tried or thought about trying, but really – you can’t go wrong. As for cooking method, I enjoy roasting the best, but you can also boil them. However, I think that it’s much easier to over or undercook when boiling – just be careful!
You want some photos? Kalyn’s Kitchen has a nice recipe with awesome photos.
As for portioning, I’ve found that a pound of brussels sprouts will generally feed about 3-4 people with generous portions.
Brussels sprouts are gross because they are in the cabbage family! That’s my reason, anyway. There’s also this: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/02/050223163830.htm which I guess should apply to more foods than just Brussels sprouts — for example, the whole “cilantro tastes like soap to some people”. I hate cilantro, but it doesn’t taste like soap to me.
Anyway, I have been able to convince myself to eat Brussels sprouts on occasion, and some of your recipes are new to me, so maybe I will have to try again. I suspect they are good for me.
WHY ARE THEY CALLED “BRUSSELS SPROUTS” THAT PHRASE NOW LOOKS WEIRD AND WRONG TO ME.
Love them! Just made a version of this recipe last night actually. I highly recommend adding in pecans… yum!