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

FAQs

Should I parboil brussel sprouts before baking? ›

Brussels sprouts — Hold the bitter

Parboil them in salted water. Both Martha Stewart and Gordon Ramsay tout this cooking hack, advising us to trim and halve the Brussels sprouts, before tossing them in salted boiling water for 2 minutes and then roasting or sautéing them with their final flavors.

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!

The soak time tenderizes the sprouts so the middles are softer. Don't worry, they won't be soggy! I would never do that to you. If, like me, you don't mind some chew to your sprouts, you don't need to soak the Brussels sprouts prior to cooking.

Roasted Brussels sprouts are a combination of steaming and roasting. Once the sprouts are steamed, put them in a large ovenproof skillet with ¼ cup of virgin olive oil added and put them in the oven. Roast for about 30 minutes occasionally shaking the pan until the sprouts are brown and tender.

When overcooked, Brussels sprouts turn mushy and release excess sulphur (the thing that makes cabbage and Brussels sprouts smell like cabbage and Brussels sprouts)—not good eats. So what's the secret? Roasting. Seriously—the simple preparation of roasting veggies is like magic.

If you want your roasted Brussels sprouts to be seriously crispy, you need to crank up the heat. Roasting at a low temperature won't allow them to brown properly, so you want to get that oven nice and hot before tossing in your baking sheet. Follow this tip: Roast Brussels sprouts at a minimum of 400°F.

Cut in Half to Roast.

To maximize the flat areas, which get the most crispy surface area, cut your Brussels sprouts in half. If your Brussels sprouts are very small, you can leave them whole (and if they are very large, quarter them).

To prepare, soak Brussels sprouts in a bowl of cold, salted water for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°F. Drain and trim the stem ends of the Brussels sprouts, pulling off any yellow outer leaves. Cut each sprout into thirds from stem to top.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and fill a large bowl with ice water. Blanch small Brussels sprouts for 3 minutes, medium for 4 minutes, and large for 5 minutes. Plunge the blanched sprouts in the ice water to stop the cooking process then move them to a clean towel and pat dry.

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.

Why are my roasted brussels sprouts tough? ›

Like soggy steamed Brussels, Brussels sprouts that are dry and chewy are no good either. This could be caused by using too little oil for roasting. You need a nice coating of oil—enough to make the heads shiny or if they're cut, enough oil to get inside the folds of some of the leaves.