Aren’t brussel sprouts the prettiest food? These are a far cry from the steamed brussels I ate (or pretended to eat?) as a kid. My husband and I are obsessed. I’ve tried a bunch of different brussel sprouts recipes and have narrowed them down and tweaked them until juuuust right. Here are our two favorites. The first is my husband’s top choice because the maple syrup and brown sugar make them “almost like candy,” according to him. Sweet with a hint of salty. The second recipe is sweet too, just not as sweet. I love it for the bite and creaminess of the gorgonzola cheese.
Maple Brussel Sprouts
Adapted from Food & Wine
1 pound brussel sprouts, halved
3 T. canola oil
2 T. butter
1 T. light brown sugar
1/4 c. pure maple syrup
1 T. cider vinegar
1/4 cup pine nuts
Heat the canola oil and butter in a skillet (preferably cast iron) on medium high until shimmering. Add the brussel sprouts, season with salt and fresh-ground pepper, and sear for two minutes to brown. Stir the brussels and leave for another two minutes to brown the other sides. Lower heat to medium. Add the pine nuts, brown sugar, and maple syrup. Cook for another few minutes until crisp-tender. Stir in the cider vinegar.
Transfer the brussel sprouts to serving platter, leaving the liquid in the skillet. Heat the liquid at a rolling bubble for a couple more minutes, until slightly thickened. Pour sauce over the brussel sprouts and serve.
Brussel Sprouts with Craisins and Gorgonzola
Adapted from Rachel Shultz
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 pound brussel sprouts, halved
1/2 cup craisins (Tip: Trader Joe’s sells some awesome plump dried cranberries that are perfect for this!)
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup walnuts
salt and fresh-ground pepper
Heat olive oil in a skillet (preferably cast iron) on medium high heat until shimmering. Add the brussel sprouts, season with salt and fresh-ground pepper, and sear for two minutes to brown. Stir the brussels and leave for another two minutes to brown the other sides. Lower heat to medium, and add craisins. Cook for a few more minutes until crisp-tender. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and maple syrup. Remove from heat. To serve, add the walnuts, gorgonzola, S&P as needed—and enjoy!
So fancy! You make me want to actually try brussel sprouts. Looks good.
Rach – I first tried brussel sprouts like this when we were in Utah at Christmas. Ryan and I got them as an appetizer at that Pizzaria 712 in Orem. Maybe you guys can go there sometime on a date! Anyway, I’ve been a little obsessed ever since. 🙂 Try it!
These look tasty! The creamy cheese and craisins sound like they’d be really good. I will be trying these next time we get some. Also, good luck this week, whether the baby comes or not! I will be thinking of you. And you looked so beautiful in the instagram pictures you posted this weekend.
Thanks so much, Alison! I appreciate the well wishes / happy thoughts! I’d really love for her to come out this week! It feels weird because the boys came 10 and 15 days early, so I’ve never made it this far. It’s like being on pins and needles all the time! Oh well!
Happy cooking!
Both those pictures made me want to go out and buy out the brussels sprouts section of Trader Joe’s. Delicious! I hope to try one of those recipes soon.
Yay! And you should totally use one of those cast iron pots we were just talking about! I use my red one for these.
I am excited to try these. I have grown to love Brussels sprouts lately!
-Shelley
I am so glad you posted this, I just asked Javier last week if we should buy some, but then I did not know how to make them so we ended up not buying them! This recipe is just what I needed! Thanks
Maple syrup with brussels sprouts!? These both sounds amazing! Adding these to my grocery list for the week. Thanks for sharing with the Mixer. Hope to see you again tomorrow.