Something Sweet Something Salty

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Giving Brussels Sprouts Another Shot


 I always detested the stinky, slimy, green things as a child.  I have nightmares about them coming out of the microwave in the dripping steamy bag.  I was always left at the table all by myself after dinner was long over, plugging my nose and gagging while washing them down with milk.  

A few days ago, one of my friends inspired me to give them another shot.  I was so pleasantly surprised.  I never thought of pan searing Brussels sprouts (nor did I know “Brussels” was supposed to have an “s” on it)! My 6-year-old son even enjoyed them.  I thought I would share the simple recipe with you as they will now be a staple veggie in our house.

Ingredients:

Brussels sprouts (I would cook approx 3-4/adult or 2/child depending on how much you like them).

Chicken Base
Chicken Base and Beef Base
2-3 Tbsp chicken broth.  I have not bought a can of chicken broth in years because I always buy chicken base.  It is a paste that you mix with water to make broth.  It lasts forever and I use it (along with beef base) in tons of dishes just to give more depth to the flavor.  It is usually on the top shelf of the grocery store by the broths.  It will seem expensive at first at around $4-5 per jar but 1 tsp makes 1 cup of broth (1 jar makes 5 gallons of broth!) so it will definitely save you money (and pantry space) in the long run.

1 tsp Olive Oil

Garlic salt

Freshly Ground Pepper 

Directions:

Wash sprouts and trim (more like shave) off the very end of the stem. This may result in the outer leaves of the sprout coming off.  This is okay because those leaves tend to not be as tender as the others.

Cut the Brussels sprouts in half lengthwise.

Pour only enough chicken broth into skillet to coat the bottom with a very thin layer of the liquid.

 Place sprouts in pan face down over medium-high heat.  Sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper.  Do not cover.  Let the broth boil until it evaporates. This will steam the sprouts just enough to make them tender (but not soggy).

After broth has evaporated, drizzle olive oil over the sprouts in the pan.  Pick up your pan and give it a good little shimmy shake to make the sprouts slide back and forth in your pan a few times, coating the bottom of the sprouts in the oil. 

Let the sprouts cook 3-4 minutes until the bottoms have a nice golden brown color, then serve. 

Top with some parmesan or mix in a little cooked bacon during the cooking process if you feel like jazzing it up a bit.  Good luck! Let me know if there are any stories like my own of converted Brussels sprout haters.

Something Sweet Something Salty
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10 responses to “Giving Brussels Sprouts Another Shot”

  1. Jaime Avatar
    Jaime

    I tried it and I liked it! I already do like B sprouts but never made them other than out of a freezer section steamer bag. I got a little impatient, I think I needed to let them cook a little bit longer, but will definitely try again 🙂

    Reply
    1. somethingsweetsomethingsalty Avatar
      somethingsweetsomethingsalty

      Did they not sear or were they still too firm? I kept having to push on them to make sure they weren’t getting soggy. It’s always so tricky with veggies.

      Reply
  2. Jessica Aman Avatar
    Jessica Aman

    Alissa…tried this recipe tonight and it turned out great! I HATE veggies…well most of them! My husband loved it, and my kiddos actually tried it. Thanks for the post!

    Reply
  3. Andrea Avatar
    Andrea

    These were so good! Mine definitely didn’t turn out as pretty as your’s did, but with practice, and maybe a better pan, I think they could become a staple in our house. Thanks, Alissa!!

    Reply
    1. somethingsweetsomethingsalty Avatar
      somethingsweetsomethingsalty

      I’m happy you liked them. A good pan can make all the difference in the world. I recommend just buying one really good pan that can be your go-to for searing. I have a Calphalon Hard-Anodized set that I think are FAB. Maybe just get one 10 or 12″ frying pan to start with. I find that I rarely ever need the pots or sauce pans to be anything fancy. It doesn’t really make any difference when you are boiling noodles or making a soup or sauce if you have a fancy schmancy pan or a cheap pan.

      Reply
  4. Andrea Avatar
    Andrea

    Hey Alissa! Doing this one today and need a little clarification on the base–is it 2-3 T of the base mixed with water? Sorry, probably a dumb question. 😉

    Reply
    1. somethingsweetsomethingsalty Avatar
      somethingsweetsomethingsalty

      Whew! It’s a good thing you asked 🙂 You are actually just going to mix a very small amount of the base with 2-3 Tablespoons of water. If you just want to mix 1/4 teaspoon base with 1/4 cup of (hot) water to make it easy and just pour enough of the broth mixture into the pan to barely coat the whole bottom that will take out any guess work. I will keep checking back frequently today/tonight just in case any more questions arise. Have fun!

      Reply
      1. Andrea Avatar
        Andrea

        Wow, yeah, that would have been lots of broth!!! Thanks! I think that’s all. 🙂

  5. Andrea Avatar
    Andrea

    Mmmm! Can’t wait to try this one! I love trying new veggies and I have always been afraid of Brussels sprouts (didn’t know there was an s there, either) but am encouraged by this recipe. I’ll let you know how it goes. 🙂

    Reply
  6. Jennifer Adams Avatar
    Jennifer Adams

    I love that you blogged this recipe! I will have to try mine again but with chicken broth instead of water. Sounds like some great extra flavor.

    Reply

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