Perfect Pairings: 8 BEST Side Dishes for Brussels Sprouts

Brussel sprouts are a type of cabbage that is grown and harvested for their leaves.

The sprouts grow on the stem rather than the root, as with other varieties of cabbage.

These leafy green vegetables make a tasty vegetable dish and play an important role in diets worldwide as they offer many health benefits.

Interesting fact: These little leafy green gems contain vitamin C and folic acid, which helps to boost the immune system.

Brussel sprouts are not only delicious but also very healthy for us.

They are also a useful source of vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber.

There are many ways to cook them – steaming, boiling, or microwaving are the best ways to retain their flavor and nutrients.

Cooking Brussel sprouts can be done easily by many methods, including cooking on a skillet, baking, microwaving, stir-frying, and even grilling.

The way they are cooked will determine how healthy they are for you and the flavor you experience.

The health benefits of eating Brussel sprouts vary depending on the cooking method and how they are prepared.

For example, when boiling them in water, you lose much of their natural fiber content, but their nutritional value is heightened if steamed or microwaved.

In this article, we will list eight side dishes that are perfect for Brussel sprouts.

Why Consider Serving Side Dishes for Brussel Sprouts?

Brussel sprouts are often a side dish, but they are high in nutrients and packed with flavor.

They are also extremely versatile, which makes them the perfect choice for different types of main courses.

Brussel sprouts come from the same family as cabbage, collard greens, broccoli, turnips, kale, and cauliflower.

This family is known for producing vegetables high in vitamin C, calcium, and iron.

Brussel sprouts are no exception – one serving of these mini cabbages is packed with 100% of the daily value of Vitamin C and 80% of the recommended amount of fiber.

When it comes to flavor, Brussel sprouts can be enjoyed raw or cooked.

The flavor is complex enough to stand alone and subtle enough to hold up to many different spices and cooking techniques.

This makes Brussel sprouts a great addition to soup or chili.

They can be boiled, steamed, sauteed in olive oil, chopped up raw, and added to salads or roasted for an hour with salt and pepper, thyme, or rosemary to make a tasty side dish.

Serving Brussel sprouts with roasted meat is another good idea.

Not only does the plant-based dish provide a healthy accompaniment to an otherwise heavy meal, but it can also work as a palate cleanser following the meal.

What to Serve with Brussel Sprouts? 8 BEST Side Dishes

Here are eight suggestions for preparing Brussel sprouts as a side dish:

1 – Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

Cheesy mashed potatoes are another great dish to serve with chicken apple sausage.

Now, when you think of cheesy mashed potatoes, what do you think of?

Most people have the same initial thought – bacon.

And rightly so because bacon makes everything taste better.

However, for this recipe, try using real cheese instead of the fake imitation.

Cheesy mashed potatoes are made with cheese and butter, but not too much.

They tend to be on the lighter side compared to other creamier varieties of this side dish.

The result is a mash that tastes like cheesy baked potatoes without all the fat.

Cheese, after all, does pack quite the caloric punch, so it’s best to control cheese intake.

What about using cheddar cheese or Colby jack? You can’t go wrong either way because the recipe only calls for a dash of each.

Garnish with chopped chives or green onions, and serve it up alongside your main course.

It’ll pull the meal together.

2 – Pan-seared Chicken Breasts

Pan-seared chicken breasts are simple to make and pair well with Brussel sprouts.

Like the previous side dish, this recipe also involves bacon.

However, unlike the cheesy mashed potatoes, which use powdered cheese, these pan-seared chicken breasts incorporate real, thick-cut slices of bacon.

Chicken is another meat that can stand on its own but is tasty with seasoning and marinades.

In this instance, you season with salt and pepper, grill to the point where chicken is no longer pink in the middle, and top with thick-cut pieces of bacon before serving.

You can cook this dish on the stove-top in a frying pan.

However, if you have an outdoor grill, be sure to take it out of storage and cook your bacon-wrapped chicken outdoors for some fresh air.

Let’s face it – there is no better way to enjoy summer than by cooking some tasty food outside.

3 – Green Bean Salad with Bacon

Once again, bacon makes this side dish a winner.

Green bean salads are versatile in that they go well with many different main courses.

It’s advisable to serve green beans as a side dish when you’re unsure what your guest will order from the menu.

This particular salad calls for thinly sliced red onions and sweet bacon dressing.

The onions give the salad crunch, while the sweet dressing pulls it all together with its unique taste.

Serve with cold cuts like salami, or pair it with some grilled chicken for a delicious meal.

4 – Sweet Potato Gratin

This is one of those side dishes that you will not regret making.

Filled with flavor and texture, the sweet potato gratin is a recipe that will quickly become part of your go-to favorites.

Sweet potatoes are not only delicious and festive looking, but they’re also good for you because they provide vitamin A and potassium.

The dish calls for heavy cream, making it calorie-laden; however, there is no reason to feel guilty because it is well worth it.

Sweet potato gratin tastes good with almost everything but goes particularly well with chicken apple sausages.

They will complement each other nicely.

And if you want to be adventurous, top the sweet potatoes off with some shredded white cheddar cheese before baking in the oven.

The result is nothing short of mouthwatering.

5 – Fried Potatoes

Potatoes are versatile and can be prepared in many different ways.

You can make them sweet by adding cinnamon or sugar, making them savory with salt and pepper, or going the plant-based route without any seasoning at all.

Fried potatoes on their own may taste a bit plain, but they still provide a crispy exterior that goes well with just about any side dish.

They’re the perfect accompaniment for sweet potatoes in particular because they balance each other out in terms of flavor and texture.

The best thing about fried potatoes is that they are so easy to make it’s almost like you don’t need a recipe at all.

Heat some canola or vegetable oil in a frying pan, add some diced potatoes that have been patted dry with paper towels, and cook until golden brown.

Now that you know what to serve with brussels sprouts, what are you waiting for? It’s time to start cooking.

6 – Roasted Beef or Pork

Roasted beef or pork is often enjoyed on special occasions, but it also makes for a perfect pairing with your side of brussels sprouts.

A typical roasted meat dish generally contains potatoes and green vegetables, making the match with brussels sprouts more appropriate.

This is an expensive main course to make, but no one will complain if you serve it during a birthday dinner.

They’re bound to put in an extra effort at the gym so that they can have room for this delicious meal.

For added convenience, you can prepare the brussels sprouts in advance, which means that when it’s time to cook your main course, all you have to do is pop everything in the oven and wait for it to turn golden brown.

7 – Fennel and Avocado Salad

Something about pairing fruit and vegetables together produces the most delectable dishes.

Fennel and avocado salad is one example, but you can also try your hand at a pear and walnut salad or even an orange and radicchio combo.

Fennel and avocado go well with just about any main course dish as they’re not obscure vegetables.

The avocado serves as the perfect dressing for the salad and provides a hard to resist creaminess, while the fennel gives an essential crunch factor.

This is also one of those dishes that will taste good with just about any meat you can think of, so feel free to experiment.

Chicken, beef, pork, lamb – all of these main courses pair nicely with this special salad.

8 – Homemade Croutons

Who doesn’t love croutons? They are crunchy, crispy and they make any dish more flavorful.

Because brussels sprouts are not the most flavorful side dish in existence, they benefit from a little something extra.

Homemade croutons are easy to make and can be used in various dishes – not just brussels sprouts.

You can use them for soups, salads, or even breakfast casseroles.

This means that you will have plenty of opportunities to get your hands on the sweet, tangy, zesty taste of croutons in general.

You can make your croutons using different types of bread, which means that you can experiment with various flavors.

You can even try out some rye or sourdough if you want.

As long as the brussels sprouts are served hot and crispy, they won’t mind at all.

Conclusion

Brussels sprouts are often associated with a bad taste and an unpleasant smell.

People tend to avoid them because they either don’t know what else to serve or can’t be bothered with the effort to prepare them.

If you’ve never tried brussels sprouts before, then now is your chance.

The eight dishes described above will inspire you to experiment with new flavors and combine different ingredients that go well together.

You can serve them as a side dish with your favorite main course, or if you’re anything like me, then you’ll devour them all by themselves.

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