When combined with bacon and baked with cheddar cheese, Brussels sprouts become a kid-friendly food. One key to making them appeal to the younger set is to cook them properly, as undercooking or overcooking can turn them bitter. Use center-cut bacon, which tends to be the leanest, and always opt for low-fat cheese to keep the calorie count at bay.
Ingredients
Although there are many recipes for Brussels sprouts and cheddar-cheese bake, they differ in their sauces. Some have a creamy cheese-based sauce and others have no sauce at all. While the Brussels sprouts are always the star, bacon almost always makes an appearance, along with cheddar cheese and shallots, leeks or onions. Creamy casseroles include Brussels sprouts au gratin and macaroni and cheese with Brussels sprouts. These dishes use the cheddar cheese to flavor a creamy sauce that is either roux-based or mixed with sour cream or cream cheese. You will usually find copious amounts of butter and other oils in these dishes.
Seasonings
When using a creamy cheese sauce, you do not need many seasonings, as the cheese adds most of the dish's flavor. Mustard, either dry or prepared, or nutmeg complements both the sprouts and the cheese, making them well-suited for these types of casseroles. Most recipes that do not use creamy sauces contain garlic as the primary flavoring, along with savory herbs, such as parsley, thyme or sage, as well as salt and pepper. Celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse seasons his Brussels sprouts with garlic, salt and pepper, thyme and cayenne pepper, although bacon and onion give the dish a kick of flavor as well.
Preparation
Many of the recipes you find call for cooking the Brussels sprouts before combining them with the other ingredients. Always trim the bottom of the Brussels sprouts, and remove any outer leaves that are discolored. Since the core is very dense and takes longer to cook than the leaves, use a sharp knife to cut an X in the bottom of the sprouts to help them cook evenly, or simply cut them in half from top to bottom. Boil the sprouts for 5 to 10 minutes or saute them on the stove in stock or broth.
Nutrition
Brussels sprouts are a good-for-you food that are naturally cholesterol free, and low in fat, sodium and calories, and they are a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin C and folates. A 1/2-cup serving of cooked Brussels sprouts -- assuming they are boiled and not cooked in oil -- contains only 30 calories, 7 g of carbohydrates and 2 g each of dietary fiber and protein. Cheddar cheese can add significant calories, as 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar contains 110 calories; so choose a low-fat alternative. Be careful with your bacon choices as well. Bacon has a high fat content, causing some people to turn to turkey bacon. Although some brands contain less fat than lean center-cut bacon, almost all brands contain significantly more sodium than bacon from pork.
References
- "Good Morning America"; Emeril's Brussels Sprout and Cheddar Cheese Bake; Emeril Lagasse
- University of Illinois: Brussels Sprouts
- Fruits and Veggies More Matters: Brussels Sprouts: Nutrition . Selection . Storage
- Kansas State University: Hey! Lighten Up!
- Cooking Light: The Most Common Nutrition Mistakes
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