Roasted Brussel Sprouts {Thanksgiving Recap}

I’ve never had a problem eating my vegetables.

When I was growing up as a young girl, I never really understood what the big deal was with kids my age never wanting to eat their veggies. As I’ve mentioned before, my grandparents have grown their own produce garden for as long as I can remember. Come summer/autumn time, we always had an abundance of collards, cabbage and turnip greens, green beans, tomatoes, lima beans, peppers, and sometimes squash. And I ate all of them with a smile on my face. If you guys were able to try my grandma’s cooking, you’d know why. There are very few vegetables that I don’t like. The only one I can think of now are peas. The pasty, mushy texture? Yeah, not a fan at all. Now any other vegetable you put in front of me: corn, carrots, spinach, squash, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower- I can eat those all day.

Also brussel sprouts. Brussel sprouts definitely fall into that category too.

I really don’t know why brussel sprouts get such a bad rap. I’ve heard from their haters that it’s the slightly bitter after taste that they have, but I actually like that earthy bitterness. I’ve had them in just about every preparation you can think of and whether they’re roasted, sauteed, or even just steamed, the verdict for me is always the same: they’re delicious.

Anyone who claims they don’t like vegetables has clearly never had them when they’re roasted. Roasting practically any kind of vegetable brings out a subtle, but unmistakable sweetness to them that is seriously addictive. Brussel sprouts are no exception to this, and the blending of the natural bitterness of the vegetable and the sweetness from the roasting makes them even more tasty. Any parents out there who’s kids don’t like vegetables? Here’s a  humble word of advice from your cook-lete Jess: roast them. Trust me, they’ll come around soon enough. Any parents out there whose kids don’t eat brussel sprouts? Make them these. Again trust me: they’ll come around soon enough.

This is my go-to recipe for when I want brussel sprouts. To be perfectly honest, I usually don’t even measure out the seasonings, it’s more of a throw-it-all-together in a pan kind of things. However, when I was making them for Thanksgiving dinner, I made some measurement estimations for you guys- because I love you. They were a delicious (not to mention healthy) welcome addition to our Thanksgiving dinner, and are still a welcome and healthy addition to my dinner, at any time of year.

Remember: don’t forget to eat your veggies! (i.e., these ones)

FEED(ME) BACK: What’s your favorite vegetable?

****************************************************

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

CLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE VERSION

Ingredients

*2 bags of fresh brussel sprouts (about 2 pounds), washed, trimmed and cut in half

*2 tablespoons olive oil

*1/2 tablespoon onion powder

*1/2 tablespoon garlic powder

*1/2 teaspoon salt

*1/2 teaspoon black pepper

*1 teaspoon brown sugar

*1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Spray a 9×12 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Stir all of the spices together in a small bowl.

3. Place the brussel sprouts in the baking dish, then pour the olive oil on top. Stir.

4.  Sprinkle the combined spice on over the sprouts, and toss together, making sure they are even coated.

5. Place in oven and roast for about 40-45 minutes, stirring halfway. The brussel sprouts are done when softened, dark green and slightly charred on top. Serve.

************************************************

Related articles

• Recipe for Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Avocados and Pecans (kalynskitchen.com)
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon (lorenskitchen.com)
• Last-Minute Thanksgiving Side Dish: Maple Syrup Roasted Brussels Sprouts (blogher.com)
• Thanksgiving! Brussel Sprouts! (blogmadebymaggie.wordpress.com)
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Coriander and Almond (herbanbaker.com)