Okay…I’m going to admit it. When I received my bin from my CSA, I had a major crisis in my kitchen. No, nothing hazardous or spoiling. In fact, the issue was more with one of the items in my bin itself. The culprit – Brussels sprouts.
Laugh it up, but these little mini heads of cabbage really threw me for a loop. While they have always been one of my mom’s favorite vegetables, we never had them when I was growing up. Ever. She never made them and never even attempted to get us to try them. I knew every joke from television shows and movies though regarding Brussels sprouts, so…yeah…I was sort of thrown for a loop. Not only had I never tasted these myself, but I had no idea how to prepare them.
My roommate claimed she maybe had them once…and she wasn’t a fan…but probably because they weren’t cooked correctly.
This didn’t boost my confidence in this vegetable at all. But…I was determined to find a recipe to make…where both of us would hopefully enjoy these little leafy greens. And after a few searches online, and a few recipes tossed at my roommate, she finally decided on one that would use a couple other items from the bin. Good thinking!
I embellished the recipe a little as I only had 16 ounces of Brussels sprouts in my bin and the recipe calls for 20. So, I substituted 4 ounces of broccoli. No harm no foul, right? So…for all of you lovers of Brussels sprouts and for those of you, who like me, have no idea if you like them or not…I encourage you to try this recipe. It’s compliments of Taste of Home…but this is my own take on it.
Recipe: Creamy Brussels Sprouts Bake
Servings: 6
Time: Prep 15 minutes; Cook 35 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened (I used Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese)
- 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream (I used Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream)
- 1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 16 ounces fresh Brussels sprouts
- 4 ounces fresh broccoli
- 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Directions:
In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and sour cream until smooth; set aside.
In a large skillet, saute mushrooms and onion in butter until tender. Stir in Brussels sprouts. Remove from the heat; stir in cream cheese mixture.
Spoon into a greased shallow 2-qt. baking dish. Cover and bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly.
Uncover; sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.
Serve.
~*~*~
I admit it…I was nervous going into this one. With not knowing what to expect from Brussels sprouts, I was actually quite nervous about taking my first bite. My roommate, as she so often does, threw herself on it immediately and assured me that it was actually really good. She said the Brussels sprouts had a bit of a nutty flavor to them…and she was right. And the cream cheese/sour cream soup that surrounded the greens, mushrooms, and onions was out of this world. This was actually quite delicious…and yes…quite filling.
But I am no longer afraid of Brussels sprouts. And, perhaps, next time I’ll try simply roasting them in olive oil and give that a go.
Trust me…this is at least worth a taste.
The Celiathlete 
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