Roasted Brussels sprouts are an easy side dish that our kids love! Halved Brussels sprouts are seasoned and then roasted on the grill or in the oven for roasted Brussels sprouts the whole family will devour.
I’m excited to be back for the third installment of the Multiculutural Kids Bloggers World Cup for Kids series! If you are just joining us, we are are representing Belgium! So far we have talked about Belgian chocolate and Speculoos cookies in our Belgian S’mores; we’ve made amazingly delicious Liege Belgian Waffles; and today we’re talking Brussels sprouts. It looks like Belgium will be advancing to the next round of the World Cup so make sure to check back in for more about Belgium as they advance.
I couldn’t represent Belgium and not talk about Brussels sprouts. Oh how I dreaded seeing these little cabbages on the dinner table as a kid. Bleh. After years of experimenting cooking Brussels sprouts, though, I’m convinced I didn’t like just because of the way they were cooked – in the microwave. Brussels sprouts are the one vegetable I can cook and my kids get excited seeing them on the table and eat them up. Seriously!
Brussels sprouts originated in Italy but the modern Brussels sprouts we know today were grown in Brussels, Belgium in the late 1500’s. Brussels sprouts came to the US in the 1800’s and have been the bane of childhood ever since. To roast Brussels sprouts, and get your kids to actually like them, start by cutting off the bottom of the sprout and then slicing the sprouts in half or quarters, depending on their size. This helps to get the sprouts to cook faster and allows for a nice surface area for roasting.
You can roast the Brussels sprouts two ways. Because it’s summer, we are grilling a lot and so we roasted Brussels sprouts on the grill, but you can also roast them in the oven. For the grill, we cook the sprouts in a tin foil packet. Drizzle olive oil over the Brussels sprouts and season with salt and pepper. Do the same thing if you roast the sprouts in the oven. Just lay the sprouts out on a cookie sheet first and skip the tin foil.
Wrap the tin foil around the sprouts to create a cooking packet. Put this packet right on the grill on medium to high heat and cook for about 20 minutes.
We empty the packet in to a bowl to serve and we all fight over the sprouts that get browned and toasty. They are the best!
If you are feeling more adventurous, Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Apples and Walnuts is delicious! My kids won’t eat them this way because of the nuts, but the adults love them!