• Parmesan-Crusted Brussels Sprouts

    posted November 17th, 2009  :: Side Dishes, The Recipes:, Vegetables, Vegetarian :: 

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    This is a great time of year if you are a fan of Brussels sprouts – my hand is raised! – their season is brief and they taste so sweet and delicious when they’re super-fresh.

    My local grocery store sells Brussels sprouts on the stalk every year around Thanksgiving, and I’ve grown to prefer buying them this way. Since you can pluck them off right before you want to cook them, they couldn’t be any fresher than if they’d grown in your own backyard garden.

    I’ve always been intrigued by the unusual beauty of Brussels sprouts;  I love their miniature cabbage-like form and their distinctive taste, a combination of cauliflower and broccoli. And like cauliflower and broccoli – their siblings in the Brassica family – they take well to roasting and tossing with good Parmesan cheese – one of my favorite methods to use on any sturdy vegetable.

    In addition to this rustic Italian-style recipe, I’ve recently given them the Julia Child treatment on my other blog, Dinner with Julia, where I prepared a recipe for Brussels Sprouts Braised in Butter and Cream from Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  Even if you are a confirmed Brussels sprouts avoider, you might change your mind after a taste of these buttery nuggets.

    Brussels Sprouts on the stalk

    Brussels Sprouts on the stalk

    Parmesan-Crusted Brussels Sprouts

    • 1 pound Brussels sprouts
    • Fine sea salt
    • Extra virgin olive oil
    • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
    Trim the Brussels sprouts of any yellowing leaves. Bring 3 quarts water to a boil; add 2 teaspoons salt and the Brussels sprouts. Boil for 5 minutes. Drain and toss in a large bowl with enought olive oil to coat the cheese. Arrange them on a shallow pan and place under a hot broiler about 4 inches below heat source until golden, 1 or 2 minutes. Serve hot. Yield: 4 side-dish servings
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    1. Smalltown Mom

      November 17, 2009
      3:47 pm

      I’ve been searching for a good brussels sprouts recipe and I think this one is going to be a winner!

    2. Katrina

      November 17, 2009
      4:16 pm

      I was just admiring the big stalks of Brussels sprouts at Schnuck’s today. A lot of the sprouts are SO tiny. Adorable. My favorite Brussels sprouts preparation is roasted with garlic in plenty of olive oil ala Mark Bittman. Thanks for sharing this recipe, I am going to try it out this week with pasta in Butternut squash sauce from Simply Recipes! Mmm!

    3. Kalynskitchen

      November 18, 2009
      7:33 am

      They sound delicious! I want some of those brussels sprouts on the stalk, haven’t seen that here.

    4. Liza

      November 18, 2009
      6:02 pm

      I LOVE Brussels sprouts. Love them Love them Love them. I often roast them with olive oil and a bit of good balsamic vinegar.

    5. Karen

      November 19, 2009
      4:53 pm

      Smalltown Mom – thanks for visiting. Let me know how you like the recipe.

      Hi Katrina – it’s nice to hear from a fellow Schnucks shopper! I really like Mark Bittman’s recipes, too. I even like his kind of dry sense of humor, which he show off in those NYtimes videos.

    6. Karen

      November 19, 2009
      4:54 pm

      Kalyn, I’d never seen them sold on the stalk before, either. Maybe your farmer’s market will have them, if they are still up and running.

      Liza, I’m looking forward to sharing Brussels sprouts with you, any old way.

    7. Amy

      November 25, 2009
      10:58 am

      I just saw them for sale on the stalk at Trader Joe’s in San Diego!
      Maybe they will have them in some of their other stores?

      My favorite brussels sprouts are browned in the pan with a little olive oil, then I add a splash of OJ and Maple syrup and take it off the heat when the liquid is gone.
      Guess I have to go buy some now!

    8. Brad

      November 27, 2009
      11:15 pm

      Your recipe sounds simply delightful. I usually steam my sprouts with a sweeter veggie like corn or carrots, then finish with lots of butter.

    9. Kid Vs. Produce | Roasted brussels sprouts with parmesean cheese

      January 3, 2010
      3:27 am

      [...] few weeks back, I had stumbled across a recipe for roasted brussels sprouts over at FamilyStyle Food that sounded simple and delish. The problem, of course, is that I’m the only person in my [...]

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