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

FAQs

What gives brussel sprouts a better taste? ›

In the late 1990s scientists identified specific chemicals, called glucosinolates, that made Brussels sprouts taste bitter. Plant breeders started growing old seeds, previously discarded for producing paltry harvests, to identify tastier versions with lower levels of these compounds.

Like all cabbages, Brussels are unavoidably fibrous and dense. You must overcome this by either cooking them in salty water until fork tender (blanching), or by roasting at a high (over 425F) temperature for upwards of 20 minutes. To guarantee great texture, do both!

Add the shallots to the pan and cook until soft. Add the Brussels sprouts and potatoes and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper and roast in the oven until the vegetables are cooked through and golden brown. Remove the vegetables from the oven and stir in the butter and lemon juice.

Don't soak sprouts before cooking them, they don't need it. Rinse before cooking, and if you want to store them ready-prepped but them in a reusable bag or container in the fridge.

A splash of lemon juice, or even apple cider vinegar, works wonders on bitter sprouts. Another key ingredient is fat, which helps Brussels sprouts to crisp up. This is why it's so popular to render bacon fat and cook Brussels sprouts in it, then add the bacon bits back in at the end.

For best results, soak your Brussels sprouts in salt water. Not only does salt act to tenderize the dense sprouts, but it will also help to season them all the way through. It won't take a lot -- just add 1 tablespoon of salt per 1 quart of water and toss in trimmed and halved Brussels sprouts.

Not using enough oil.

The other secret to ridiculously crispy Brussels sprouts is tossing them in plenty of oil. We like to use olive oil, but plain vegetable oil is great too. If the sprouts are well-coated, they'll caramelize and char instead of simply softening in the oven.

The trick is to simply know how to cook them properly and what flavors work with them. Your first step should always be to blanch the brussels sprouts. This is basically when they get submerged in boiling water just for a few minutes, not until they're fully cooked, but just enough to take away some of the bitterness.

Can you freeze raw Brussels sprouts without blanching? You can you freeze uncooked Brussels sprouts, but you'll need to be aware that they may be a little softer than if you blanched them (so keep an eye on the cooking time). Plus, they won't keep in the freezer for as long.

How do you cook Jamie Oliver Brussels sprouts? ›

Trim the Brussels and peel away any tatty outer leaves, halving any larger ones and keeping the smaller ones whole. Cook in a large pan of boiling salted water for 5 minutes, then drain and leave to steam dry.

One of the most common ways to cut a Brussels sprout is in half or quarters. By doing so, you reduce the size of the sprouts, speeding up cooking.

Sprouts on the stalk will stay fresher longer than sprouts that have been picked off and sold loose. Plan on about 1/2 pound (8 ounces) of raw brussels sprouts per person.

About 30 years ago, a Dutch scientist identified the chemicals that made brussels sprouts bitter. He selected seed varieties with lower levels of the bitter chemicals and bred new high-yielding varieties that tasted less bitter.

Roasted Brussels sprouts are a revelation!

The best roasted Brussels sprouts are crisp and golden on the outside, and tender on the inside. They're full of irresistible caramelized flavor, which is both sweet and nutty. I love to eat them straight off the pan.

If brussels sprouts taste bitter to you, you may have a gene that senses bitter compounds in brassicas. It is similar to the gene that makes cilantro taste like soap to the people who have it, and like a yummy herb to people who don't.

The larger the Brussels sprouts grow, the more they take on the qualities of cabbage. Large pieces will be slightly more bitter, while smaller Brussels sprouts are a little bit sweeter. Save the big ones for roasting, when the combo of high heat and fat coaxes out every drop of sweetness.