So, this is the last recipe post of my Thanksgiving series in which all the recipes are vegetarian. They were being offered for your consideration as a side dish, or if you have a vegetarian at your table like I do as a way to provide something more hearty than the usual sides of rolls, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, and green beans.
Check out my Recipes Index page for other dishes that I have covered in the past. Obviously these recipes don’t have to wait until Thanksgiving to appear on the dining table!
Similar to the Cauliflower with Brown Butter, Pears, and Hazelnuts recipe in my last post (as well as the Harvest Quinoa with Apples and Walnuts recipe) for this series, this recipe for Mashed Brussels Sprouts is a super easy Thanksgiving side, and for this dish you can prepare everything the day before and just heat this up in the oven as the turkey is resting.
When I was growing up, I heard about how terrible Brussels sprouts are. But, I never ate any- they never appeared on any table for any meal. I only heard about them in books and on TV and movies as I saw people making faces.
It was not until much later, when I was an adult, in fact not until after college, that I first knowingly tried and found out I actually enjoyed Brussels sprouts. It makes me wonder how much prejudice we learn that instills a dislike of something even before trying it rather than experiencing it first.
What are your feelings about Brussels Sprouts- and were there foods you thought you didn’t like when you were younger that once you had them, you realized how much you had been missing out?
This recipe is a way to get Brussels Sprouts on the table in a sneaky way in case you or any member of your dining party are exposed to stories about how much Brussels sprouts are terrible, but haven’t had them yet.
The recognizable shape of brussels sprouts is hidden away because of the mash, and some cream and parmesan help soften and stick everything together. Given the amount of Brussels sprouts the cream and cheese amounts are enhancing rather then smothering and covering the vegetables, and are more nutritious than mashed potatoes (which would have cream and butter- here the parmesan contributes richness instead of butter). It does double duty as being comforting like a starch but being so much veggie!
I know the amounts are a little weird- that’s because this is converted from a metric system recipe, and because of that there is a bit of eyeballing involved. I made half the recipe, which is enough for 4 people, so a full recipe should probably serve 8.
Ingredients:
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1 1/2 kilograms of Brussels sprout, or about 3 1/3 pounds.
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1 1/4 cups of heavy cream
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5.3 ounces of parmesan cheese, grated or shredded – I used shredded
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salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Clean up the sprouts by removing any outside leaves that look a bit old and then parboil them in unsalted water for about 4-6 minutes. Parboiling is when you partially cook something- in this case the Brussels sprouts- by putting them in the boiling water for a certain amount of time, and then immediately removing it while the color is still bright and it is slightly softened and cooling it off in cold water to stop the cooking process so it doesn’t get mushy.
- Drain the brussels sprouts and put in a food processor, along with the cream and some salt and pepper to taste- I think I used maybe 1.5 teaspoons of each. Process the brussels sprouts until they’re just roughly chopped but not a purée.
- Put the brussels sprouts/cream mixture in a 5 quart ovenproof dish. Stir in most of the parmesan- you want to sprinkle a bit on the top at the end, so reserve a few pinch-fuls. You can feel free to add more to taste, and salt and pepper accordingly as well. If you use grated instead of shredded it will incorporate more smoothly into the mash, but I already had shredded and went with that here anyway.
- Bake until the top gets a fine, crunchy crust, about 20 minutes or so
The result is a little more chewy- sort of like if you had made mashed potatoes with all the skin- but still creamy.
Summary of the Vegetarian Thanksgiving Sides Series 2013:
- Mashed Brussels Sprouts
- Cauliflower with Brown Butter, Pears, and Hazelnuts
- Four Greens with Garlic Saute
- Harvest Quinoa with Apples and Walnuts
- Butternut Squash Lasagna in Béchamel sauce
Thanks for reading!
