Thanksgiving side: Roasted Brussels sprouts with garlic, Parmesan, buttered breadcrumb topping

How can you go wrong with an ingredient list like this? Just be careful you don't hog the whole bowl for yourself at Thanksgiving.

There was no love lost between me and the vast majority of vegetables when I was growing up. But even as a child, I adored Brussels sprouts. And my passion for these cruciferous cuties continues unabated in my adult life (wait, when did I become an adult?!).

They're good so many ways – pan seared, roasted, etc., But after my friend, Marc introduced me to the idea of slicing them in shoestrings and roasting them with garlic, whole grain mustard, white wine, and Pecorino cheese a few years ago, I pretty much stopped making them any other way. I was stuck in a Brussels sprouts rut and very happy about it. It was not until I was asked to bring Brussels sprouts to the lovely Thanksgiving gathering of family and friends we attended last year that I felt it was time to try something new. So I pulled one of my very favorite cookbooks, Andrea Chesman's excellent, "Recipes From The Root Cellar" off the shelf and started thumbing through it for ideas. She's got so many delicious-sounding Brussels sprouts recipes that I had a hard time choosing just one.

After much agonizing, I settled on this recipe because I liked the idea of using breadcrumbs, garlic and Parmesan (how can you really go wrong with these ingredients?) The prep is fairly simple (the most time-consuming part for me was trimming the sprouts since the ones I had to work with were not in the best shape and needed a lot of peeling). And the results are simply divine….

Just toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast for 15 minutes. Then remove from the delightfully browned, caramelized petit choux from the oven. Top with the breadcrumb mixture and bake for another few minutes to crisp the topping. And then try not to devour the entire panful in one sitting.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Garlic Parmesan Buttered Breadcrumb Topping
Serves 4

1 to 1-1/2 lbs Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved or quartered if large
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) organic butter
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs (make your own or buy some good organic ones - Trader Joe's has a nice, affordable organic option)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly oil a heavy baking sheet (preferred) or large shallow roasting pan.

2. Mound the Brussels sprouts on the sheet pan, drizzle the olive oil over them and toss gently to coat. Arrange the sprouts in asingle uncrowded layer.

3. Roast for about 15 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally to ensure even cooking, until the sprouts are tender and lightly browned.

4. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan and toss the garlic in for just 2-3 minutes. Then combine the butter-garlic mixture with the breadcrumbs and cheese in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.

5. Remove the sprouts from the oven, sprinkle the breadcrumbs mixture over them evenly and return them to the oven. Roast for another 6-8 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are toasted and golden. Serve hot.

Related post on The Garden of Eating: Maple Bacon Roasted Brussels Sprouts