Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts.  Ooooooo yuck.  Just the name can incite grimaces and shudders.  I was one of those people who never liked Brussels sprouts, until one day a few years ago.  We used a Groupon for a fancy hotel, and the stay included a dinner for two.  The vegetable that came with my dinner was - you guessed it - Brussels sprouts.  But these were unlike any sprouts I had ever tried before!  Roasted to perfection, slightly sweet, a little salty and perfectly cooked.  I decided to give Brussels sprouts another try in my home kitchen. 

Since then, I've made many different experimental batches and tried different methods of cooking Brussels sprouts.  I keep going back to this original recipe I put together of lemon juice, salt, pepper, and olive oil, cooked using a slow-roasted oven technique. 

How do you cook your Brussels sprouts?  Do you even like Brussels sprouts?

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

• 1 to 2 pounds Brussels sprouts, rinsed with ends trimmed 
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar or honey
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a sheet pan with tin foil if desired (this makes clean-up a snap).  Mix all ingredients. Pour the Brussels sprouts out on a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Stir sprouts or shake the pan once in a while, just to make sure they brown fairly evenly.  They are tasty both more or less browned then shown in the picture.  When the Brussels sprouts are done, sprinkle with more kosher salt if desired, and serve immediately.