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In-Season Recipe Connection: Brussels Sprouts People Will Actually ENJOY Eating

If you don’t own an air fryer, here’s the best Brussel sprout recipe. 

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How do you get nutritious food that tastes amazing? For me, I visit my dearest friend. You see, I can tell you how to make a nutrient-dense meal, and my friend and her roommate are both connoisseurs of great flavors and fine cooking. The brussels sprouts recipe (11)complement is perfect. I had the rare pleasure of visiting them all the way in St. Paul, Minnesota last weekend, and let me tell you: there were many-splendored feasts of all kinds.

Not only did we get to cook together a little, but we spent two hours at the local Farmer’s Market (yes, this is what I do for fun even when I can’t buy any produce – she made a Farmer’s Market Bingo for 5-year-old Paul that I hope to offer as a free download sometime soon); had an amazing dinner at a local restaurant that served grassfed beef and had chicken and duck liver pate on the menu in two places, which pretty much tells you everything; discovered a tiny bakery that only makes traditional sourdough bread with spelt and rye (I had a conversation with the owner about sourdough rise times, coconut oil, and soaking grains, oh, yes I did!); and relished the fact that at midnight, we were flipping through recipes and talking about food.

Minneapolis sustainable restaurant (1)
Minneapolis sustainable restaurant (4)

Above are our meals out Saturday night. A-maze-ing. I truly savored every bite (and not only because no one asked me to refill their milk). My first experience with fennel, and I’m a big fan as it turns out!

These girls are amazing: they threw a St. Joseph’s Feast Day dinner party that would make St. Joseph himself proud (and satisfied and nourished, too!). Someday I’m going to get them to guest post about how they throw a dinner party…maybe a week-long series with a wine pairing lesson.

Vacations and kindred spirits do a soul good! (And so does four hours of alone time on a Sunday afternoon, during which I managed to eat lunch, go for a bike ride, shop at my favorite spice store, read a spiritual book and a food book while laying in the sun at a park, go for a half hour walk, visit the cathedral to pray, chat with a friend on the phone, AND lay down for a 20 minute rest. I kid you not. It’s amazing what a mom can do when she has no kids around!)

I also had the pleasure of meeting Micaela Preston, author of Practically Green and Mindful Momma, in real life. We “talked shop” while our boys played on the most incredible playground I’ve ever seen…and neither of us took a picture. What kind of a blogger meets another blogger and doesn’t take a picture? (The distracted kind who like to talk. Me!)

But I digress. I’m seriously digressing. This post is supposed to be about brussel sprouts. Brussels sprouts? Apparently they’re “Brussels sprouts,” as a red line spell checker and a Swagbucks search just taught me. Huh. Now I’ve learned something new.

I don’t remember when I learned what Brussels sprouts (they sure sound like “brussel sprouts”!) actually looked like, but I’m pretty sure I was a full grown adult. I always thought the famed sprouts of hated childhood fare were the little sprouts on a salad bar and proudly proclaimed that I liked them.

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Who knew they look like little tiny cabbages on a stick?

They taste like cabbage, a little bit, and they’re actually divine when properly prepared. This recipe is my friend Cheryl’s standby, which she will make every week until Brussels sprouts go out of season at the market. It’s from a cookbook by Diane Rossen Worthington called  Seriously Simple

Recipe: Tasty Brussels Sprouts

1. Drizzle some olive oil in a skillet. Add a pat of butter and heat both on medium.

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2. Slice your sprouts in half lengthwise and arrange face-down in the pan.

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3. Once they begin to brown, use a spatula to mix them up. (I used to turn them all individually to get both sides, but this is lots of unnecessary work.) The cookbook says it’s all about the browning, that this is the step that takes a hated childhood side veg and vaults it to its spotlight placement.

4. Add 1/4-1/2 cup chicken broth and a pinch or to taste of sugar (less than a Tablespoon).

5. Grind on some salt and pepper.

6. Cook on medium high one minute.

7. Cover and cook two more minutes.

8. Uncover and turn the heat up a bit to get rid of the excess liquid and finish the carmelization.

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9. Serve. Mmm…mmm…good!

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Brussels Sprouts People Will Actually ENJOY Eating

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Ingredients

Units Scale
  • olive oil (use the code STEWARDSHIP for 10% off at that site!)
  • butter
  • Brussels sprouts
  • 1/41/2 c. chicken broth
  • pinch or to taste of sugar (less than a Tbs.)
  • salt (Use the code kitchenstewardship for 15% off of your first purchase) and pepper


ship kroger


Instructions

  1. Drizzle some olive oil in a skillet.
  2. Add a pat of butter and heat both on medium.
  3. Slice your sprouts in half lengthwise and arrange face-down in the pan.
  4. Once they begin to brown, use a spatula to mix them up. (I used to turn them all individually to get both sides, but this is lots of unnecessary work.) The cookbook says it’s all about the browning, that this is the step that takes a hated childhood side veg and vaults it to its spotlight placement.
  5. Add 1/4-1/2 cup chicken broth and sugar.
  6. Grind on some salt and pepper.
  7. Cook on medium high one minute.
  8. Cover and cook two more minutes.
  9. Uncover and turn the heat up a bit to get rid of the excess liquid and finish the carmelization.
  10. Serve. Mmm…mmm…good!

No brussels sprouts for your kids? What ARE you going to pack in their lunches? Find TONS of ideas by clicking here: Healthy Lunch Packing Ideas.

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Be honest now…you’re salivating over these pictures of Brussels sprouts, aren’t you? They look SO good! I am getting better at food photography, in spite of my ancient camera (pats self on back…taking care not to drop said camera…again).

If you’re not sure how to pick great Brussels’ sprouts, talk to your local farmer at the Farmer’s Market. Use these 10 Questions to Ask Your Farmer as a guide to strike up a conversation!

There are affiliate links in this post. See my full disclosure statement here.

Unless otherwise credited, photos are owned by the author or used with a license from Canva or Deposit Photos.

35 thoughts on “In-Season Recipe Connection: Brussels Sprouts People Will Actually ENJOY Eating”

  1. We love brussells sprouts in our house! I usually fry up a few slices of chopped bacon, then remove the bacon but leave the grease. Then you add the sprouts whole or halved(whichever you prefer) and sprinkle with some salt and pepper and cook covered for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occaisionally. Add the bacon, stir, and serve! 🙂

    1. Or during the summer I throw brussells in a tinfoil packet with globs of butter and salt and pepper and throw it on the grill. Sometime the hubby flips it, but I like it when he doesn’t flip it because one side gets super crispy and delicious. I think we leave them on the grill around 10-15 mintues.

  2. This is my go-to recipe for Brussels sprouts. We LOVE them and have converted many sprout-haters with it as well. Just a quick tip, if you don’t have chicken stock available (or, like me, you frequently forget to thaw it), white wine or a fruity beer serve just as well and add some nice flavor. Tonight I used a blueberry wheat ale and they were delicious. I do skip the sugar when I use alcohol. Just in case anyone else is looking for a substitution.

  3. I made these tonight. Completely forgot about the sugar, really don’t think they need it. After supper, I had the serving dish in my hand, when my husband walked in the kitchen. I might have been contemplating licking the dish. They were that good. Oh my gosh. Have to go shopping tomorrow – we’re out of brussels sprouts. Thank you!

  4. Pingback: New Favorite Vegetable Dishes | Whole Natural Life

  5. In a completely non-stick pan (black enamel Emerilware) I saute a little onion & garlic in olive oil. I then add the cut Brussels sprouts and cover over medium heat. Once they’ve cooked to our liking, I then turn up the heat and let any remaining liquid cook off so that they can finish caramelizing. I’ve tried other types of pans, but they don’t have the same effect & kinda mush up.

  6. I knew I would enjoy this recipe because I like brussel sprouts…I just didn’t know how much. I made them the other night and my husband LOVED them!!! He said we’ll HAVE to make them for company. Thanks for sharing yet another wonderful recipe!

  7. Oh my goodness – I tried this recipe the other night and can NOT rave about it enough! It’s one of those dishes that you keep asking yourself, “Can this REALLY be good for me?” I used palm sugar for the sugar and the whole thing turned out splendidly!
    .-= Kelli M´s last blog ..Thomas and Kathleen- Part One =-.

  8. Cucee Sprouts

    I love Brussels Sprouts but I’ve never really had them “raw” until now. I love your recipe but I also want to share mine with you – my recipe is so simple but SOOO good!!! http://cuceesprouts.com/2010/09/shaved-brussels-sprouts-salad/

  9. We love Brussels Sprouts, but all I ever do is steam them and sometimes that just gets old. I tried this recipe tonight and it got a triple thumbs up — from my 8 year old (who ate 6 pieces), my husband and I! I think I would serve them to company, they are so good. I served them with grilled salmon, and grilled sweet potatoes — YUM! Thanks for the awesome recipe, it’s a keeper!

  10. I guess I’m one of the weird ones out there that loves brussel sprouts. I grew up eating them dipped in mustard. Is that weird? Anyway, this recipe looks delicious and I will definitely try it. Another way I like to serve sauteed brussels is with a splash of balsalmic vinegar. Yum!
    .-= Krissa´s last blog ..No Room for a Garden =-.

  11. I actually love Brussels sprouts leftover, cold. I like them hot too, just steamed with a touch of butter. SO good.

  12. Love the sprouts! Here’s a recipe for raw Brussels sprouts…yes, it is delicious:
    http://anhourinthekitchen.com/2009/12/brussels-sprout-salad-with-cranberries/
    .-= kara´s last blog ..Ratatouille =-.

  13. I will have to try this, it is the one veggie that my DH doesn’t like, I’m sure that is the way they have been prepared though 😉
    .-= Suzanne´s last blog ..How I lost 20 pounds in 10 minutes =-.

  14. I love sauteed Brussels sprouts and my kids gobble them up. I have never added the chicken broth, but I bet that little bit of steam and flavor would be an excellent addition.

  15. Brussels sprouts were THE veggie that I hated as a kid. And then I redeemed it last year by saute-ing in lard or bacon fat, seasoning with sea salt and garlic and then after they’re nice and browned, sprinkling shredded parmesan over the top, turning off the burner and covering with a lid to let it melt. SO good.

    Can you redeem turnips next? Pretty please?
    .-= melanie´s last blog ..Leahs 6th Birthday Party =-.

    1. Melanie,
      Oh my goodness, I have a fall recipe with turnips from the same friend! Yee hah! 🙂 Katie

  16. I cook mine with onions and bacon. My family actually requests it! I’ve browned them with olive oil in the oven before, too. So good.
    .-= Milehimama´s last blog ..Frostbitten Fingers- Glamour of a SAHMer =-.

  17. Amanda Starr

    Mmm that does look good, though I like mine just steamed but will try this to see if the kid will eat ’em.

  18. Jenn AKA The Leftover Queen

    This looks great! I love brussels sprouts too. I like to sautee mine in bacon fat (with the bacon) and serve tossed in a mustard vinaigrette!
    .-= Jenn AKA The Leftover Queen´s last blog ..Roasted Veggie and Edible Flower Salad =-.

  19. Okay, so, you MUST publish a “healthy restaurant” guide!! I keep hearing you (and other Western Michigan bloggers) refer to such great restaurants that serve local food, grass-fed beef, etc. At least tell us how we might find such places. I go out with my parents every other Friday and would LOVE to go to such a nice place and not have to make compromises in feeding my kids (and myself!).
    .-= Kate´s last blog ..Chocolate Chip Cookies =-.

    1. Kate,
      Are you in West MI? I do have a local resources page with my fav sustainable restaurants around here under “What to Buy” up there in the menu bar. I believe it’s Holly Hickman actually has a restaurant guide for the whole US, but I don’t know her web address. They’re out there! 🙂 Katie

  20. Cheryl the MN friend

    Hi Katie! Thanks for a great weekend.

    The cookbook is called Seriously Simple. It’s written by Diane Rossen Worthington and is available here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0811831949/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=5588896361&ref=pd_sl_63t6z7hl74_e

    I also recommend the Roasted Winter Vegetables. Yum!

    Miss you!

  21. Considering I have never liked them but my husband planted and entire bushels worth. I need good recipies! Can’t wait to try it when my sprouts are ready.
    .-= Bekki´s last blog ..Little Bo Peep and her sheep =-.

  22. I never cared much for brussels sprouts as a kid, but I love them now! This is pretty similar to the way I have been making them lately, but I steam them a bit first, then brown in butter. My husband said he thought they would be good with some lemon juice sprinkled on at the end, but I haven’t tried that yet.

  23. Katie ~ Simple Organic

    Mmmm, I love brussels sprouts prepared the way you described. So good! But THIS is also a stellar recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/brussels-sprouts-with-bacon-and-cheese-recipe/index.html

    Because, of course, bacon makes everything better! 🙂

  24. Yum! I’ll have to try this. Since I’m from the Twin Cities, I’m so curious about the names of the restaurant/bakery/playground you went to! Can you share? I’m finding that even after living here all of my 23 years, there are still new treasures to find! (And I’m guessing the spice store was Penzey’s?? Love that place!)

    1. Amanda,
      The bakery is Thuro Bread in St. Paul, the playground was Hyland Park Area in Minneapolis, and the restaurant was…maybe Spoon River? I couldn’t remember the name when I wrote the post either, but it’s right next to the theatre in downtown Minneapolis. Fabulous. Be sure to check out http://simplegoodandtasty.com/local-food-lover for a membership with coupons to sustainable places in the Twin Cities – my birthday gift to my friend, which she used to take me out for dinner for my birthday! 😉 Katie

  25. Wendy (The Local Cook)

    I LOVE brussels sprouts. My favorite is sauteed with leeks.
    .-= Wendy (The Local Cook)´s last blog ..Blueberry Peach Delight =-.

  26. It’s true. Browned, caramelized Brussels sprouts are delicious. I hated them before my mother tried this recipe– hmm, I need to get me some sprouts!
    .-= Rebekah´s last blog ..Food marketing =-.

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