Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Lots of people hate brussels sprouts, but I've been able to convert quite a few brussels sprout haters with my roasted brussels sprouts.

Roasted brussels sprouts are a great side and they're pretty low maintenance so you can concentrate on cooking something else while they're roasting. :)

So if you hate them, give roasted brussels sprouts a try. They're the complete opposite of boiled or previously frozen ones!

• 1 pound+ of fresh brussels sprouts
• olive oil
• salt + pepper
• seasoning of choice - I like Italian!
• an oven preheated to 400 F
• a baking dish
• a helper to supervise

You can do lots of things with them - I've had them with lemon zest and oregano, lots of garlic and butter, and even spicy. :)

Note that it is important to use a baking dish for this instead of a baking sheet - a baking pan helps keep some moisture in so the outside leaves of the brussels sprouts don't go all burny before the inside is cooked through. I only cook them on a baking sheet if I'm mixing them with other veggies. :)

Cut off the very bottom of the brussels sprouts, and then take off the outer leaves. You want to get to the light green leaves and discard the battered outer ones.

If you see any holes or signs of bug activity, cut off all the affected areas! This happens pretty often with them.

If you have large sprouts, split them in half from the base to the top. This will help them cook more evenly. All of mine this time were pretty small!

Also - go ahead and preheat the oven to 400 F while you're doing this. :)

Season with generous amounts of salt and black pepper and whatever else you like. Coat them with olive oil - you want enough so everything is shining but you don't have any puddles. :D

You're going to be roasting them for approximately 45 minutes at 400 F.

Check them every 15 minutes and toss them around in the pan - otherwise they can burn! And eat all the little leaves that have fallen off when you check on them - they're delicious and will burn if you leave them.

When you can easily pierce the biggest ones with a fork they're done. :)

Good with cheese and butter or just alone. I could eat them every single day with nothing extra! :D