What do I do with…Brussels sprouts
Issue No. 14: Culinary resolutions; my favorite recipes using Brussels sprouts
Welcome back to Dish Lister!
I hope everyone had nice holiday and new year celebrations. I was on a cruise with my husband’s family for the Christmas week, enjoyed a wonderful New Year’s Eve with our great friends, and am now (happily) back into my regular routine this week.
While I haven’t made any New Year’s resolutions (a practice that I generally find sets me up for disappointment and failure), I decided to develop some culinary resolutions instead. These are more ambitious, food-related activities that I would like to try in 2025—things I want to cook or bake, restaurants I want to eat at, and other culinary activities or projects I want to partake in.
Here’s my latest list (subject to further additions):
Things to Cook:
Congee
Beef Wellington / Salmon Wellington (puff pastry enrobed meat or fish)
Things to Bake:
Croissants or other laminated dough pastries. (Technically I made these in culinary school, but it was a while ago!)
Babka
Milk bread
Other Things to Make:
Sourdough starter
Vanilla extract (need to start on this soon—it’s a 6-12 month project!)
Kimchi
Places to Eat Out (at the top of my NYC must-try list):
Cocodaq
Bungalow
Torrisi (how have I not eaten here yet?)
Hani’s Bakery
Mary O’s Irish Soda Bread Scones
Brown Bag Sandwich Co.
Other Planned Culinary Activities & Projects:
Improve my food photography
Chocolate chip cookie bake-off/ review
Dumpling food crawl with my son
To hold myself accountable, I will share periodic updates on my progress over the course of the year—my successes and any failures (I’m curious about whether I can properly feed a sourdough starter).
I hope you’ll join me in setting some culinary resolutions of your own for 2025. And if you do, I would love to hear what goals you choose. Please let me know by leaving a comment below, and then keep me updated on your progress!
Alright, let’s dish!
What do I do with…Brussels sprouts
As culinary school graduate and big-time foodie, one question I get asked constantly is “what do I make with X [insert any food here]?” And most of the time, without referring to my recipe archives, I can provide five or six options of favorite dishes using said item. This post is the first in a new monthly series I’m calling “What do I do with…” where I will share this (hopefully useful) information for many commonly used/ widely available foods. A friend recently asked me what she should do to use up some Brussels sprouts, and since they are currently in season (October-March), they seemed like the ideal food to start with here.
Brussels sprouts are one of those polarizing vegetables that I strongly believe when prepared the right way can convert a hater into a fan, or at least make them more tolerant. A member of the cabbage family, Brussels sprouts are quite versatile and can be prepared in a variety of ways (sautéed, roasted, deep or air fried until crispy, added to sandwiches, toast, or pizza, or eaten raw in a salad). There are really no limits to their potential. With that said, I do not ever boil Brussels sprouts. It’s a preparation that does them a huge disservice—water logging and turning them into leafy mush and essentially depleting them of all flavor. Brussels sprouts also happen to be high in fiber, are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and have anti-inflammatory properties. So much good can come from incorporating them into your regular diet.
The most simple way that I like to make Brussels sprouts: de-stem and halve them, toss them in a little extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper on a foil-lined sheet pan, and roast in a preheated 425°F oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are nicely charred throughout. Squeeze a little lemon juice and sprinkle some grated Parmesan on top, and you’ve got the perfect side dish.
If you’re feeling slightly more adventurous though, I recommend trying one or all of these incredible Brussels sprouts recipes that highlight this vegetable in the best ways. I make these recipes often and can vouch for their greatness. (Click on recipe names for links to the recipes!)
Toast: Charred Brussels Sprouts Toast with Ricotta, Deb Perelman, Smitten Kitchen Keepers. I prefer serving these savory toasts with homemade ricotta, which is actually quite simple to make, but a quality, store-bought whole milk ricotta works well too. They are perfect as an appetizer or a light lunch.
Pizza: Brussels Sprouts Pizza Carbonara, Ina Garten, Modern Comfort Food. If you like pasta Carbonara, then you will likely enjoy this pizza, which features a generous amount of roasted Brussels sprouts, a ricotta and egg béchamel sauce, Parmesan and Pecorino cheeses, and pancetta to give it an amazing texture and flavor.
Stir Fry: Brussels Sprouts Stir-Fry with Cheddar and Golden Raisins, Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appétit. This was one of my favorite recipes of 2024 for a good reason—it’s incredibly delicious! The Brussels Sprouts are finely shredded and then stir-fried. I love the complexity of flavor from the aged cheddar and golden raisins.
Sandwich: Roasted Vegetable Reuben, Jenny Rosenstrach, The Weekday Vegetarians: Get Simple. Those who have been with me from the start are probably sick of hearing me talk about this gold-standard vegetarian sandwich (filled with roasted Brussels sprouts and broccoli rather than traditional corned beef), but I swear after you try it, you will get the hype. The recipe is now available online, so you have no excuse to not make it.
Salad: Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan, Walnuts, and Currants, Jenny Rosenstrach, Dinner A Love Story. When Brussels sprouts are shredded, they lose some of their toughness and taste a lot like cabbage, making them the perfect salad base. This particular recipe was inspired by a salad from NYC’s Buvette restaurant. The longer the salad sits before it’s served, the more the sprouts will soften and absorb the flavor of the dressing.
Side dish 1: Gratin of Brussels Sprouts, Gruyere, and Prosciutto, Joshua McFaddon, Six Seasons. Covering anything with loads of cheese always makes it taste better, so I dare you to not like this recipe. Try a similar version from Alison Roman (minus the prosciutto) in NYT Cooking.
Side Dish 2: Cacio E Pepe Brussels Sprouts, Tieghan Gerard, Half Baked Harvest: Super Simple. This winning dish features shredded, sautéed Brussels sprouts with loads of cheese and black pepper, plus a nice crunch from toasted hazelnuts and balanced out with some lemon zest.
Side Dish 3: Roasted Brussels Sprouts Caesar with Tahini, Yasmin Fahr, New York Times Cooking. These roasted Brussels and toasty croutons with a tahini dressing were listed in my 2024 Year in Review as a recipe MVP since I made them a lot. That should tell you everything.
Sheet pan meal: Sheet Pan Honey-Roasted Chicken, Carrots, and Brussels Sprouts with Tahini Yogurt, Caroline Chambers. What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking Substack. This is a weeknight single sheet pan meal at its best. Simple to make and well-seasoned, the tahini sauce adds tons of flavor and elevates the dish.
Air fryer: Air-Fried Brussels Sprouts with Garlic, Balsamic & Soy, Melissa Clark, New York Times Cooking. My air fryer experiences have been met with mixed results, but this Brussels sprouts recipe is definitely one of the bigger successes.
Quick & easy weeknight meal 1: Steak with Brussels Sprouts and Almonds, Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food Magazine. Literally one of the fastest, easiest, and yummiest meals ever, I made this recipe on repeat when my boys were babies and I didn’t have the time (or energy) to cook, and it has always delivered.
Quick & easy weeknight meal 2: Peanutty Pork and Brussels Sprouts, Caroline Chambers, What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking. This meal is so flavorful, and the peanut sauce so divine, that you’ll never believe it can be on the table in under 15 minutes. To give you an idea of this recipe’s greatness, Caroline Chambers calls it the one she’s most obsessed with from her cookbook. It’s one of my favorites too.
I hope these recipes provide some helpful inspiration the next time you find yourself with a bunch of Brussels sprouts. As always, please let me know which recipes you try and what you think of them!
Until next week, please share this post with all of your favorite foodies (including any Brussels sprouts skeptics). Thanks for your support!
Love love love these ideas and very much want to make that pizza!!!
I love the new section! I’ve never been able to make Brussels sprouts that I like…but I’ll definitely try again with these suggestions!