The Best Brussels Sprouts Casserole | Easy Brussels Sprouts Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are restaurant brussel sprouts so good? ›

Brussel sprouts are roasted in lots of oil, then topped with pine nuts, Parmesan cheese and honey. It's that sweet, fatty, cheesy combo that makes it taste good!

Unlike other vegetables, Brussels sprouts can be parboiled (even a day ahead) to reduce the roasting time without hurting their texture.

The soak time tenderizes the sprouts so the middles are softer. Don't worry, they won't be soggy! I would never do that to you. If, like me, you don't mind some chew to your sprouts, you don't need to soak the Brussels sprouts prior to cooking.

While you can make roasted Brussels sprouts whole or halved, I recommend trimming and halving them for this easy recipe. To trim: Using a knife, trim off the bottom of the tough stem end of each Brussels sprout.

The key is to start with a cold skillet.

Put the butter and olive oil into the cold skillet, turn the heat to high, and when your nose picks up the brown-butter smell and the butter starts turning golden brown, toss the ribbons of Brussels sprouts into the skillet. They'll come out crunchy and delicious.

Over the last twenty years, farmers have mellowed the "unpleasant" flavor of Brussels sprouts by breeding a vegetable that contains fewer bitter compounds or glucosinolates. So, Brussels sprouts just taste better than they used to when we were kids. The rub is that glucosinolates help protect sprouts against pests.

Moisture is the enemy of crispiness.

There's nothing wrong with soft and chewy Brussels, but if your goal is the type of crispy Brussels that they're serving at your favorite bistro you MUST thoroughly dry the surface of the sprouts before sautéing and/or roasting them. If they are wet they will steam instead of crisp.

Roast the Brussels Sprouts at high heat

Check the brussels sprouts about halfway through and add more olive oil as needed. If you don't hear them crisping up in the oven, add a little more oil and roast them for a few more minutes until your desire crispiness is achieved!

Place the sprouts cut-side down: Trim and halve the sprouts and roast them with their cut side against the baking sheet. The cut side will caramelize beautifully while the outer leaves crisp. Keep the leaves: Don't discard the outer leaves that fall away as you cut the sprouts.

Fresh vegetables can pick up bacteria from the soil, water, or any surface they come in contact with (especially during transportation). It's important to properly wash your brussels sprouts before eating them to keep you or your loved ones from getting sick. Wash them with regular cold water or use a baking soda soak.

Should I rinse Brussels sprouts? ›

Rinse under cold running water to remove any dust or dirt. Use a small knife to remove the sprout tip, and then remove any leaves that have bad spots. Raw: Slice thinly and toss with other shredded vegetables like cabbage, carrots, or beets.

America's Test Kitchen (What's Eating Dan YT link to avoid the ATK paywall) recommends skillet-roasting Brussels sprouts, though with enough oil that it's almost pan-frying. Serious Eats says to oven-roast at high heat in a sheet pan.

Most store-bought Brussels will have the stem mostly trimmed off, but if you want to really make sure there aren't any woody parts, take a sharp knife and just lop off the bottom of the sprout. To make cooking time a little quicker (and thus avoid over-sulphuring up the place), I like to slice my sprouts in half.

Like soggy steamed Brussels, Brussels sprouts that are dry and chewy are no good either. This could be caused by using too little oil for roasting. You need a nice coating of oil—enough to make the heads shiny or if they're cut, enough oil to get inside the folds of some of the leaves.

However, one reason that vegetables always taste better at a restaurant is that chefs there don't hold back on using oil to boost flavor. They often use oodles of butter, oil, or bacon fat to coat veggies fried on the stove and give them an umami appeal.

How do restaurants make broccoli taste so good? As with everything made by chefs, they have unexpected (read: unhealthy) additions to their meals — mostly butter, oil and heaps of salt. An excellent tip for the perfect broccoli is the blanching step.

To get restaurant-quality vegetables at home, change up how you prep and when you salt. Salt significantly improves your veggie's taste and is also a flavor enhancer. Avoid adding herbs and spices without salt since it's the salt that makes all the flavors pop.

With all of these benefits, you may be wondering if it's okay to eat Brussels sprouts every single day. Rifkin's expert opinion is that it's safe to do so, but you also want to make sure you're eating other nutrient-rich foods too.