Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan
Roasted Brussels Sprouts are easy to prepare, with simple seasonings and Parmesan to boost their flavor and a natural sweetness brought out by roasting!
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For many years, I was a proud member of the Not a Fan of Brussels Sprouts Club. After all, the ones I recalled from childhood originated from a can and were served on an avocado green melamine tray in my elementary school cafeteria. I mean, YUCK. Way to turn impressionable kids on to healthy green vegetables! But then I discovered Roasted Brussels Sprouts!
Alas, it was many, many years before I conceded to give Brussels sprouts a fair chance...but when I finally did, boy was I glad for the change of heart!
Ingredients
Shimmering with olive oil, seasoned with garlic powder, salt, and pepper, roasted until the edges turn brown and crispy, and then sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese, these new-fangled Brussels sprouts bore no resemblance whatsoever to the pale, mushy lumps on my cafeteria lunch tray of yore.
And these Roasted Brussels Sprouts are not only delicious, but they're also easy to make! This is one of those recipes where basic ingredients and a straightforward preparation yield exponentially more flavor.
Prepping the Brussels Sprouts
When I bought a bag of the star ingredient for this batch of Roasted Brussels Sprouts, they were smaller than average. So while I typically cut my Brussels sprouts in half before roasting them, this time I left them whole.
These intact 'sprouts still turned out tasty, but I have to admit that I prefer the results achieved by halving them. It just seems to me that the flat, sliced sides create more surface area to make contact with the baking sheet, which means more browning, which means more almost-burnt-but-in-a-good-way edges, which means YUM.
Either way works, so experiment to see if you prefer halved or whole. If your Brussels sprouts are of varying sizes, you should probably cut the big ones in half anyway (while leaving the smaller ones whole) to ensure even roasting.
The key in either situation is monitoring them closely as your Roasted Brussels Sprouts cook so that you can pull them out once they achieve that perfect shade of brown without becoming overcooked.
And don't worry about some of the tiny leaves falling off and practically charring. Those are the best parts! If you don't see many in the photos here, it's because I ate them straight off the pan. (Ooops.)
Adding Bacon and/or Garlic
More often than not, I cook my Brussels sprouts with bacon because -- hellooo! -- bacon. But I decided not to do so here since this was a side dish for my Maple-Glazed Turkey with Bacon & Sage Butter, and clearly that's enough bacon for one meal. (Enough bacon for me? Not necessarily. Enough bacon to be considered socially acceptable? Perhaps.)
Anyhoo, if you'd like to bacon-ify these Roasted Brussels Sprouts, just dice up about 8 strips of raw bacon into 1-inch pieces. After the Brussels sprouts have cooked for the first 10-minute increment, flip them over and sprinkle the bacon pieces on top (and then stir again every 10 minutes). The bacon will roast as the Brussels sprouts do, and everything should be nice and crispy by the end of the cooking time.
Similarly, if you want to add some fresh garlic to this recipe, toss a few cloves of minced garlic into your Roasted Brussels Sprouts just before the last 10 minutes of cooking time (and you may have to stir everything around halfway through those 10 minutes to make sure the garlic doesn't burn).
Of course, if you're a purist, the simple seasonings and Parmesan in the original recipe will still have everyone popping these suckers like candy!
Whether you serve these Roasted Brussels Sprouts at Thanksgiving, Christmas, or for an ordinary Thursday night supper, you might end up converting more than a few Not a Fans to enthusiastic Brussels sprouts eaters!
And if not, next time try the bacon version...because sometimes you have to pull out the big guns. 😉
More Tasty Sides
- Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pistachios + Cranberries
- Bacon Green Bean Casserole
- Make-Ahead Garlic + Herb Mashed Potatoes
- Roasted Asparagus
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Brussels sprouts
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Place rack in center position of oven. Preheat oven to 400°F. Trim each Brussels sprout by cutting off a small piece of the end and then cut sprout in half, lengthwise.
- Place Brussels sprouts in a large bowl (or a gallon-sized plastic bag). Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Gently toss Brussels sprouts (or shake in bag) until evenly coated with oil and seasonings.
- Spread out Brussels sprouts in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 25 to 35 minutes, flipping every 10 minutes. Watch closely as the end of the cooking time nears. Brussels sprouts are done when they have crispy, golden brown exteriors and tender interiors. Taste (but blow on it first...it will be hot!) and add more salt and pepper, if necessary. Transfer Brussels sprouts to a serving bowl, sprinkle with grated Parmesan, and toss to coat. Serve warm.
Equipment Needed
Nutrition
Post originally published on November 14, 2014, and updated on February 14, 2020, and February 19, 2024.
I've roasted brussel sprouts before but these were extra tasty with the parmesan.
These sound delicious , love Brussels Sprouts
I hear you - I wasn't a fan of brussels sprouts before, but now...I'm so loving them. These roasted brussels sprouts are super simple and super good!
Love Brussels sprouts. These were good!
Oh My Goodness, you have so many new things I would like to try, these brussels look divine!!!
Love Brussels Sprouts, and love roasted veggies. I think they're one of the few I've never roasted...thanks, Sam!
Sounds like these will be right up your alley, Deb! 🙂 Hope you have a chance to try them and that you have a very happy Thanksgiving!
I actually really love brussels sprouts, and like to use them in spaghetti sometimes instead of meatballs. Coating these in cheese is perfect for that!
That is absolutely brilliant, Liv! I've never heard of such an idea. Wonder if my kids would balk at Brussels sprouts meatballs...might just have to try it and find out. 😉 Hope your week is off to a great start!