Cheesy Roasted Brussels Sprouts

This is an awesome update to an existing recipe in our collection that came about completely by accident last Thanksgiving (yes that one, the dreaded Thanksgiving that never was because of COVID). Turning lemons into lemonaid we were expecting 15 family members for Thanksgiving here at Casa M on Monday of Thanksgiving week and that rapidly fell to just Manny and me by Tuesday evening. We had already shopped for all the ingredients and had everything ready to go, so we just made Thanksgiving dinner like we had planned. The Brussels sprouts have always been simple in the past. Roast them, throw some Parmesan on top, and broil them to melt the Parmesan and brown them up. This time we had some leftover Mornay sauce from the smoked mac and cheese and I suggested to Manny that I could throw it on top of the Brussels sprouts and bake them. When I got the sprouts into the baking dish, I didn't have enough Mornay sauce to cover them all, so I just cheated and sprinkled shredded cheese on top and since we had just tried Rogue Creamery's blue cheese and loved it and had plenty, I experimented and threw some on top of the sprouts before we baked it off. Best Brussels sprouts EVER. So we went back and developed the recipe a little further and shot it.

Note that coating the sprouts well with the coconut oil is important as it helps to keep them moist during the cooking process. We love the Parmesan going in first and last because it fills the "air gaps" first and adds some crust/crunch to the dish last. You'll see in the photo that we used a Mexican blend of shredded cheese that we're partial to, but if that's not available regular sharp Cheddar cheese is great. While in the initial roasting step, season to taste. Chain Reaction® adds brightness and salt flavor, Cattle Drive® adds black pepper flavor. Finally, the blue cheese is masterful in our opinion. If it's not your thing, leave it out, but you should try it at least once. It adds a depth of flavor to the dish that we love!

As always, from our table to yours... #SpiceConfidently #EssenceOfFlavor #ChemistryInTheKitchen #CasaMSpice

— Mike Hernandez

ingredients

For the Brussels Sprouts:

2 pounds Brussels Sprouts, trimmed well, cut in half
1 large sweet onion, diced
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons avocado oil
Casa M Spice Co® Chain Reaction®
Casa M Spice Co® Cattle Drive®

Pulling It All Together:

8 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated
16 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded
8 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

FEATURED QUOTE

There's a magic to [Brussels sprouts] that many people overlook; when they are cooked well, they caramelize and present a sweetness that isn't present in their raw or under-cooked form.

- Mike Hernandez

LET’S GET COOKING

1.
Preheat the oven to bake at 400°F or convection bake at 375°F.
2.
In a large mixing bowl, add the cut sporuts, onion, and garlic then drizzle the oil over the top and, using your hands, ensure everything is evenly coated.
3.
Pour the contents of the bowl out onto a parchment paper lined sheet pan and evenly distribute across the pan in a single-layer.
4.
Dust the sprouts with Casa M Spice Co® Chain Reaction® and Cattle Drive®.
5.
Place the sheet pan into the oven and let the sprouts bake for 60 minutes. Keep an eye on them during the last 15 minutes to ensure they don't over-brown. If they start to look like they are, put a sheet of aluminim foil over them.
6.
While they are cooking, grease a 13" x 9" baking dish for phase two of baking.
7.
Remove the sprouts from the oven leaving the oven on and reducing the heat to 350°F for conventional bake or convection bake at 325°F. Let the sprouts cool enough to handle them. Once they've cooled enough to handle, put them evenly into the prepared baking dish.
8.
Add 1/2 of the grated Parmesan cheese first so it nestles down into the air gaps as it cooks. Next add the shredded Cheddar cheese in an even layer. Add the blue cheese crumbles over that and finally the rest of the grated Parmesan on the top.
9.
Bake for about 30 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the top is golden brown (see photos). Serve while hot. This dish refrigerates and reheats quite well, but doesn't freeze well, so eat it all within a week.