Raise your hand if you love Brussels sprouts but only cook them once a year? That used to be me. For one, I was the only sprouts eater in the house. Then there’s the prep – what a pain it can be trimming the dried ends off all those little cabbage balls! Finally, there’s the issue of getting the texture just right. To me, Brussels sprouts should be soft, no matter what your method of cooking. So many times I’ll see them on a “Harvest Specials” menu in a restaurant and order them thinking they sound good (i.e. “crispy roasted with bacon”). Then they arrive at the table all hard and unappealing – often tasting of nothing but bacon grease. One day I was rooting around the freezer case at the store, looking for frozen bags of brown rice, when I discovered the answer to all my Brussels sprouts issues: bags of frozen petite sprouts! These things are amazing. (You can be sure I stocked up before posting this.) You can roast them, sauté them or braise them straight from the freezer, and be eating them less than 10 minutes later. No trimming the ends. Perfectly tender. Not too cabbage-y tasting. And my kids love them! For Thanksgiving this year, I’m making these creamy lemon-glazed sprouts (a double batch). Maybe I’ll make them ahead of time, or maybe I’ll cook them at the same time I cook the green beans. The touch of lemon keeps the light cream coating from tasting too rich. Happy Thanksgiving!

Lemon-Glazed Brussels Sprouts                               PRINT  lemon-glazed-brussels-sprouts

4 Servings (Can be doubled)

• 1 bag (12 oz.) frozen petite Brussels sprouts
• ½ cup heavy cream (not half-and-half)
• ½ cup water
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

To a medium or large pan over medium-high heat, add frozen Brussels sprouts, heavy cream, water and salt. Cover pan and cook for about 7 minutes. Remove lid and stir until most of the liquid has evaporated and Brussels sprouts are glazed. Gently stir in lemon zest and juice. (Can be made ahead and reheated in a microwave.)

Frozen sprouts – straight from the bag to the pan.

If you don’t have kosher salt, use a little less table salt. Adjust for seasoning at the end.

Covering the pan results in a quick braise.

Cream and water turn into a glaze after just a few minutes. Once-frozen sprouts are now perfectly cooked!

A little lemon brings the sprouts to life.

Grate a little lemon zest on top for added lemon flavor and visual appeal.

11-year-old stealing sprouts from a photo shoot.