Smashed Brussels Sprouts

Have you tried smashed Brussels sprouts? This recipe is truly special: they come out crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

Smashed Brussels Sprouts

You’ve cooked your Brussels sprouts every which way: roasted, boiled, sauteed, and raw. But have you tried Smashed Brussels Sprouts? If you’re a Brussels lover, this recipe is a must-try. Boil them, smash them, then roast them with Parmesan cheese until they’re crispy at the edges. It’s like roasted Brussels sprouts taken up two notches, because the interior is creamy and smooth. Here’s how to make them!

Ingredients for smashed Brussels sprouts

Smashed Brussels sprouts are boiled then smashed and roasted in the oven until crispy, much like a smashed potato. It makes them extremely tender and smooth on the inside, and crispy on the outside. Parmesan cheese helps to get even more crisp exterior, and makes little roasty bits where it falls onto the baking sheet. We think it’s a must! Here’s what you’ll need for this recipe:

  • Brussels sprouts
  • Olive oil
  • Garlic powder
  • Onion powder
  • Salt and pepper
  • Parmesan cheese: you can go without it for vegan and dairy free, but we highly recommend using it for the ideal crunchy texture
Smashed Brussels sprouts recipe

How to make smashed Brussels sprouts: a few tips!

This smashed Brussels sprouts recipe requires two major steps, so you’ll want to save it for when you have a little extra time. If desired, you can do the boiling step in advance, then roast them when you’re ready to serve (more on that below). Because we’re all about simple cooking, we tried to find a way to get around the boiling step: but it’s required so that the sprouts are smashable. Here are a few tips:

  • Boil until just tender enough to smash. If you boil Brussels sprouts too long, they can become bitter. You’ll want to keep an eye on these: boil until just tender enough to smash but still bright green. Test one to see if it smashes, then immediately drain them!
  • Pat them dry. You’ll want the sprouts to be as dry as possible before coating them with oil and seasonings. If there’s too much moisture, the sprouts can’t get crispy!
  • Smash ’em! We like using a skillet to smash a few at a time. Just be gentle! Using too much force can mutilate them instead of smashing them.
  • Roast until crispy: no need to flip! Use high heat (450 degrees) and roast until browned and crispy, about 22 to 25 minutes. You don’t even need to flip them: they’ll still get beautifully brown.
Smashed Brussels Sprouts

A note on the Parmesan cheese

You can make smashed Brussels sprouts without cheese for a dairy-free or vegan spin: they’ll still taste good! But the Parmesan cheese really adds to the crispy texture and savory flavor. If you’re trying to go without, we recommend sprinkling with something savory: nutritional yeast or a vegan Parmesan cheese brand of your choice (or homemade vegan Parmesan).

Also we like shredded Parmesan: the kind that is long shreds! Grated Parmesan is the kind with the powdery texture: it works here, but it doesn’t get as crispy.

Make ahead info

These smashed Brussels sprouts are so delicious, and worth every minute of the prep time. But just like smashed potatoes, they’re a little labor intensive. They’re perfect for holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas, but they take a bit of prep time. Here are a few notes on make ahead info and how to serve them to a crowd:

  • You can complete the boiling step in advance. This shaves off a bit of the prep time! Boil them, then refrigerate until you’re ready to roast.
  • Don’t roast them in advance! You’ll want to serve them right from the oven so they’re at peak crispiness.
  • Doubling the recipe? Add to the bake time. If you double the recipe for entertaining, keep in mind it will take longer in the oven to get browned and crispy since there’s more surface area and moisture with two trays.
Smashed Brussels Sprouts

More Brussels sprouts recipes

Love the humble sprout? Here are a few more Brussels sprouts recipes you’ll love to whip up:

This smashed Brussels sprouts recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten-free.

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Smashed Brussels Sprouts

Smashed Brussels Sprouts


  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

Have you tried smashed Brussels sprouts? This recipe is truly special: they come out crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.


Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts* (off the stem)
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon each garlic powder and onion powder
  • Fresh ground black pepper
  • ⅓ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt to a large pot of water and bring it to a boil.
  3. Slice off the tough ends of the Brussels sprouts. Boil the sprouts 6 to 8 minutes** until still bright green but very tender and able to smash gently with the back of a glass (remove one and test it). Drain the sprouts and allow them to steam in a strainer for 3 minutes.
  4. Pat the sprouts dry with a clean towel a few handfuls at a time, and place them in a large bowl (you’ll want them as dry as possible to get the oil to stick). Mix them with the olive oil, kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.
  5. Place the Brussels sprouts on a parchment lined-baking sheet. Use a small skillet to gently mash a few at a time until they are gently are smashed but not mutilated (if you smash too hard, they tend to fall apart). Top with the shredded Parmesan cheese.
  6. Place in the oven and bake the Brussels sprouts for 22 to 25 minutes* until they are browned and crispy: no need to flip. Taste and add another sprinkle of salt if necessary. Enjoy immediately. (We don’t recommend roasting these in advance: you’ll want to serve them right from the oven so they’re crispy.)

Notes

*If you double the recipe for entertaining, keep in mind it will take longer in the oven to get browned and crispy since there’s more surface area and moisture with two trays.

**Make ahead tip: you can boil the Brussels sprouts in advance and refrigerate until roasting. Make sure to pat dry before adding the oil and seasonings in Step 4.

  • Category: Side dish
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: Smashed Brussels sprouts, Smashed Brussels sprouts recipe

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Pumpkin Chocolate Swirl Bread

No matter if you call it bread or cake, this chocolate and pumpkin swirl bread is a revelation, with mesmerizing swirls of deeply spiced pumpkin and rich dark cocoa in a moist and tender loaf. Give it a swirl!

Whether you enjoy it for breakfast, as a satisfying afternoon snack, or as a decadent after-dinner dessert, this dramatically swirled quick bread is a flavorful fall delight.

Sliced loaf of Pumpkin Chocolate Swirl Bread on an olivewood bread board on a dark gray background

Cake, bread. Bread, cake. Really, what’s the difference?

Just one of the many reasons I love quick breads: they’re basically cake disguised as breakfast food. Especially if there’s a little chocolate in the mix.

Calling it bread means it’s perfectly acceptable for breakfast, served warm with your morning tea or coffee. Calling it cake makes it similarly satisfying as a dessert (take it a step further with a drizzle of chocolate glaze or a scoop of vanilla ice cream and it’d be downright decadent!)

I’ve also been enjoying the heck out of this bread in the afternoons, as it makes a perfect, satisfying snack to get me through the afternoon lull.

Closeup of a sliced cross-section to show the texture of this Pumpkin Chocolate Swirl Bread

This is a loose adaptation of my sweet potato crumb cake recipe. In addition to chocofying half the batter, I also made a few more adjustments to give the crumb a bit more depth and heft. I wanted a dense, weighty cake that was packed with spices and pumpkin flavor and that stayed moist for days.

The result is quite remarkable, like your favorite banana bread all dressed up for fall. All it needs is a cable knit sweater and a pile of leaves to play in.

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Sweet Potato Salad

This sweet potato salad recipe is colorful and delicious! Roasted potatoes, greens, and cranberries make the ideal sweet and savory mix.

Sweet Potato Salad

Looking for a delicious salad featuring everyone’s favorite root vegetable? Try this Sweet Potato Salad! You won’t be able to stop shoveling in bites of this healthy side dish (we couldn’t, at least). The contrast of garlic roasted sweet potato cubes, feathery baby arugula, cranberries and creamy goat cheese hit it out of the park. Top it with tangy honey mustard dressing and well, you’ll want to park yourself in front of the bowl.

Elements in this sweet potato salad recipe

There are many types of sweet potato salads. In fact, there’s a popular Arabic sweet potato salad with onion, cinnamon and raisins. This sweet potato salad recipe is one of our own creation, using our favorite roasted sweet potatoes with a mix of fall and wintery produce. But it works for any time of year! Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Sweet potatoes
  • Olive oil, garlic powder, and salt and pepper (for roasting)
  • Honey Mustard Dressing (or Balsamic Dressing for vegan)
  • Baby arugula
  • Shallot
  • Dried cranberries or cheeries
  • Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
  • Feta cheese or goat cheese (optional)
Sweet potato salad recipe

Tips for making roasted sweet potatoes

The longest lead item in this sweet potato salad recipe is roasting the potatoes! This salad is built around these Roasted Sweet Potatoes: our master method for baking them until they’re caramelized and tender. Here are a few notes for that method:

  • Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Sweet potatoes are best roasted at very high heat, which gets the best caramelization (called the Maillard reaction).
  • Dice the sweet potatoes into 3/4-inch chunks. This might sound oddly specific, but it’s the ideal size for bite-sized pieces. (Cut them too small and they shrivel up in the oven.)
  • Season with olive oil, salt and garlic powder. See the recipe below for specifics.
  • Roast on parchment-lined baking sheet for about 25 minutes, until tender. There’s no need to stir! Throw them in and they roast up like a charm.
Sweet Potato Salad

Two variations: potato salad vs plated salad

You can serve this sweet potato salad one of two ways: from a bowl, or as a plated salad. Here are the differences:

  • The main method is like a cross between potato salad and green salad. It’s mostly sweet potatoes, with a bit of baby arugula thrown in.
  • Want more of a green salad? Do the plated salad variation. Add a few cups of mixed greens to the baby arugula. Place the greens on a plate, then add the sweet potatoes and drizzle over dressing.

Only use baby greens!

This sweet potato salad is contingent on using baby greens. Why? Baby arugula has a beautiful feathery texture and a mild flavor. Mature arugula is sold in bunches and the flavor is very spicy! Don’t use it as a substitute. If you need a substitute, use any type of baby green: spinach or mixed greens.

Baby arugula is sold in boxes or bags in the produce aisle. Just stay away from anything sold as a bunch!

Sweet Potato Salad

Sweet potato salad dressings

This sweet potato salad recipe tastes good with lots of different salad dressing options. Our favorite is Honey Mustard Dressing, but there are lots to choose from. Here are some options:

When to serve it

Let us know if you try this sweet potato salad: it’s one of our favorite new recipes and everyone goes crazy for it when we make it! It would be perfect for serving:

More sweet potato recipes

Love sweet potatoes? Here some favorite sweet potato recipes for any season:

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Sweet Potato Salad

Sweet Potato Salad


  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

This sweet potato salad recipe is colorful and delicious! Roasted potatoes, greens, and cranberries make the ideal sweet and savory mix.


Ingredients

  • 2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 4 medium)
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Fresh ground black pepper
  • 6 tablespoons Honey Mustard Dressing (or Balsamic Dressing for vegan)
  • 2 cups baby arugula (not standard arugula*, plus 2 to 3 cups mixed greens for the plated salad variation)
  • 1/2 medium shallot, thinly sliced into half moons
  • ¼ cup dried cranberries or cherries
  • ¼ cup pepitas
  • ¼ cup feta or goat cheese crumbles (optional)

Instructions

  1. Roast the sweet potatoes: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Dice the sweet potatoes into 3/4” cubes, leaving the skin on. In a large bowl, mix the sweet potatoes with the olive oil, garlic powder, and kosher salt.
  3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the sweet potatoes on top in an even layer. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the cubes are tender and browned on the bottom. (You can make ahead the roasted sweet potatoes and refrigerate until serving: bring them to room temperature prior to making the salad, or reheat them in a 350 degree oven until slightly warmed.)
  4. Meanwhile, make the Honey Mustard Dressing.
  5. When ready to assemble the salad, in a bowl mix the roasted sweet potatoes with the baby arugula, shallot, cranberries, pepitas, feta or goat cheese crumbles, and 6 tablespoons of the dressing. Mix, then serve. (Plated salad variation: Add 2 to 3 additional cups mixed greens. Place the greens on plates, top with the potatoes, cranberries, shallot pepitas and cheese, and drizzle with dressing.)

Notes

*Make sure to buy baby arugula, which has a feathery texture. Mature arugula sold in bunches is much too spicy. For a substitute, use any baby green like baby spinach or mixed greens.

  • Category: Salad
  • Method: Roasted
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: Sweet potato salad, sweet potato salad recipe

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Easy Black Bean Soup

This creamy black bean soup recipe is easy to put together with canned beans! It makes a deliciously quick lunch or dinner idea.

Black Bean Soup

Want to make black bean soup and don’t have time to cook dried beans? Try this Quick Black Bean Soup recipe! Using canned beans makes it possible to whip up this tasty soup in 30 minutes. It’s creamy, garlicky and hearty, and a big bowl feels positively restorative. Top it with pico de gallo for a bright and zingy contrast in flavors. Then take it over the top with crushed tortilla chips and pickled peppers, or serve it with a baked quesadilla.

Ingredients in this black bean soup recipe

Many black bean soup recipes use dried beans: and they’re incredibly delicious. If you’ve got time, we highly recommend a recipe cooked from dried beans. But if you’re in a hurry, canned beans make deliciously creamy soup. In fact, you can use the can liquid to make the soup lusciously creamy. Here’s all you need for the base recipe of the soup:

  • Olive oil
  • Vegetables: onion, bell pepper, garlic and jalapeño pepper (optional)
  • Canned black beans
  • Cumin, oregano, fennel seed, salt
  • Vegetable broth
  • Butter
  • Lime zest
Black Bean Soup

Tips for making it creamy

This black bean soup recipe is ultra creamy because it uses a few tricks! Here’s what to know about the secrets behind the creamy body:

  • Use the can liquid from 3 cans black beans. In fact, we recommend canned beans for this recipe! The can liquid is very thick, which makes the perfect thickener for a soup.
  • Pulse with an immersion blender a few times (or normal blender). It’s optional, but you can pulse with an immersion blender to make it even thicker. Just blend until some beans puree but most are still whole. You can also use a standard blender: just be careful not to over-blend.

Toppings for black bean soup

This black bean soup recipe looks pretty monochrome as is. So make sure to step it up with garnishes and toppings when you serve it! The pico de gallo or salsa fresca is required in our opinion: it adds just the right zip to the flavor. We’ve got a few more ideas for decking it out with toppings. Here are the toppings we recommend:

  • Pico de gallo, aka salsa fresca: This is required. Find it in the refrigerated section at most grocery stores, or you can make your own homemade pico. (Or for a cheater version, chop tomatoes and a little onion and add cilantro and a squeeze of lime.)
  • Cilantro: Torn fresh leaves add just the right fresh flavor
  • Crushed tortilla chips or strips: Make Tortilla Strips for a little crunch
  • Pickled peppers: Use Pickled Jalapenos for spicy or Pickled Banana Peppers for mild (we had a jar of banana peppers on hand and it was perfect)
Black Bean Soup Recipe

Is this a spicy black bean soup?

This black bean soup recipe is not spicy, but it can be! The base recipe is very mild, even though it calls for ¼ jalapeno pepper (it’s just enough to add flavor but not heat). If you’d like a spicy black bean soup, here are a few things you can do to bring the heat:

  • Use a whole jalapeño pepper with seeds, instead of 1/4
  • Add 2 tablespoons adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo (this also adds more flavor nuance)
  • Load on the hot sauce, which is the easiest way to customize the heat level

Make it a meal! Sides to serve

This black bean soup is pretty filling, but we’d suggest adding a few side dishes to make it into a full meal.

Black Bean Soup

More bean soup recipes

A few cans of beans make dinnertime easy! Here are a few more soup recipes we love featuring other types of beans:

This black bean soup recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.

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Black Bean Soup

Easy Black Bean Soup


  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 to 6
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

This creamy black bean soup recipe is easy to put together with canned beans! It makes a deliciously quick lunch or dinner idea.


Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large sweet onion
  • 1/2 green bell pepper
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 1/4 jalapeño pepper* (optional)
  • 3 15-ounce cans black beans (don’t drain)
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon fennel seed, crushed with fingers
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 quart vegetable broth
  • 2 tablespoons salted butter (or vegan butter or refined coconut oil for vegan)
  • 1/2 lime, zested
  • Pico de gallo (salsa fresca)*, for serving
  • Fresh cilantro (optional)
  • Other toppings: Crushed tortilla chips, tortilla strips, sour cream, pickled jalapenos or banana peppers, etc

Instructions

  1. Finely dice the onion and green bell pepper. Mince the garlic. Finely mince the ¼ jalapeño pepper (take care to wash your hands afterwards). 
  2. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic and jalapeño and cook, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5 to 7 minutes.
  3. Once softened, add the black beans including their can liquid, cumin, oregano, fennel seeds, kosher salt, and broth. Bring to a simmer and cook about 20 to 25 minutes until the beans start to break down. Stir in the butter and lime zest. If desired, pulse a few times with an immersion blender to thicken the soup, just until some of the beans puree but most are still whole (be careful not to over-blend; you can also pulse 1 to 2 times with a standard blender).
  4. Ladle the soup into bowls (it thickens more once in the serving bowls). Garnish with pico de gallo, torn cilantro leaves, and any of the optional toppings. Serve immediately. Leftovers last 3 to 4 days refrigerated. 

Notes

*This soup is mild with ¼ jalapeno. Want a spicy black bean soup? Use a full jalapeno pepper with seeds. Or, stir in about 2 tablespoons adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers. 

**Pico de gallo aka salsa fresca is sold in the refrigerated section at most grocery stores. If you can’t find it, make Homemade Pico de Gallo or a cheater version: top with minced tomato. white onion and cilantro, spritzed with a little lime juice. 

  • Category: Main dish
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Mexican inspired

Keywords: Black bean soup, black bean soup recipe

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Spiced Apple Cider Bundt Cake (with Apple Cider Glaze)

Your perfect fall bake is here: made with sweet apple cider infused with warm autumn spices and studded with fresh apple chunks, this sour ...