Looking for brussels sprouts recipes that go beyond the usual side dish? Think glossy glazed halves, colorful salads and a skillet full of melted cheese.
These ideas give you plenty to choose from, whether you want sprouts on your pizza or tucked into a creamy soup.
You can keep things simple or go all out with toppings. Start with the dish that catches your eye, then use these pictures as inspiration for your next dinner.
Brussels Sprouts Ideas Worth Saving
glossy browned sprouts
We’re starting off strong with these beautifully browned sprouts. I love the dark glaze caught between the leaves and those golden cut sides.
If you want to take your usual sprouts in this direction, try a glossy sauce with a little chili added. Keep some of those browned faces showing when you serve them.
Read also: 20 Comfort Food Recipes to Inspire Your Next Cozy Meal
pecans, cranberries and bacon
How good does this combination look? There are pecan halves, dried cranberries and bacon pieces tucked all around the browned sprouts.
This is the one to save if you like a side dish with plenty of extras.
I’d bring this colorful mix to a holiday table in a simple white serving bowl.
balsamic-glazed halves
If you love a saucy side dish, this balsamic-glazed version is for you. The glaze coats the sprouts and pools around the bottom of the platter.
Those golden centers are my favorite part. Serve your version on a shallow dish if you want the sauce to stay visible rather than disappear beneath a deep pile.
shaved sprouts and pomegranate
This salad may just be one of my favorites here. I love the pomegranate seeds scattered through the thinly shaved sprouts.
The red-skinned fruit pieces, green seeds and white shavings make it even prettier.
For your own variation, try chopped apple and a little shaved Parmesan.
bacon-wrapped bites
Want something a little different from a bowl of halved sprouts? These whole sprouts are wrapped individually in bacon and arranged in an air-fryer basket.
This picture shows the prep stage, not the finished bites. Use a tested air-fryer recipe to guide cooking rather than judging doneness from this photo.
creamy bacon skillet
I am obsessed with how this skillet looks. The green sprouts sit in a pale sauce with bacon pieces and strands of melted cheese between them.
If you’re choosing a side for a simple main dish, this is a lovely direction to try. I’d keep the rest of the plate fairly plain.
maple pecan sprouts
The pecan fans are going to love this! This maple pecan idea pairs the nuts with sliced sprouts and loose green leaves rather than a pile of deeply browned halves.
I especially like how the larger pecan pieces stay visible throughout the dish.
honey sriracha sprouts
Looking for a sweet-and-spicy direction? This honey sriracha version is worth saving.
The sprouts have dark browned edges and a glossy coating, with no big pile of toppings covering them.
I’d serve this one alongside rice and a simply prepared protein.
golden cheesy bake
Who else goes straight for the golden patches on a cheesy bake? This dish has sprouts nestled beneath a melted topping, with browned spots across the surface and around the pan.
Keep this idea in mind when you want a spoonable side rather than a tray of glazed vegetables.
cranberries and chopped walnuts
There’s so much to love in this bowl, from the dark red dried cranberries to the chopped walnuts scattered over the sprouts. The small pale crumbles fill in the spaces between them.
For a variation of your own, you could finish a similar combination with crumbled cheese. I’d keep the nuts roughly chopped like these.
simple cheese-topped skillet
Don’t want a thick sauce or lots of toppings? No problem!
This skillet keeps things simple with lightly browned sprouts, dark seasoning specks and thin shreds of cheese.
Try a little grated Parmesan on your own version if you want to follow this look.
brussels sprout leaf chips
How cute is this little bowl of sprout chips? The separated leaves curl up at the edges, with browned patches against the green.
This is a different direction from the larger side dishes on the list. Save the idea if you’d rather try sprouts as a snack.
browned sprout pizza
Sprouts on pizza? I’m very much here for this. The browned pieces sit among melted cheese, chopped nuts and little green herb flecks.
I love that the toppings reach almost to the crust. Try cutting your own pizza into smaller pieces like these if you’re serving it as part of a spread.
sausage and potato tray
If you’re looking for dinner inspiration rather than another side dish, this one is for you. Browned sausages share the tray with red-skinned potatoes and Brussels sprout halves.
The golden potato faces and dark sprout edges look so good together. A little mustard on the side would be my addition.
bacon and melted cheese
Here’s another creamy skillet, but the browned sprout faces really stand out in this one. Bacon pieces and melted white cheese are scattered across the top.
I’d leave some sprouts uncovered in a similar dish so you can still see those golden centers. There’s no need to hide them under the cheese.
colorful mixed skillet
This is a fun way to move beyond sprouts on their own. The skillet mixes them with orange slices, small red pieces and browned chunks, then finishes everything with chopped green onions.
For your own take, try carrots, bell pepper and tofu with the sprouts. Keep that bright green onion topping to finish it off.
citrus and pomegranate platter
I love the red pomegranate seeds against these green sprouts. The yellow citrus pieces and fine zest scattered over the platter make the whole dish look so bright.
This is a pretty direction for a holiday side if you don’t want bacon or a blanket of cheese.
shaved sprout flatbread
This flatbread takes a different approach from the pizza above. Thin sprout ribbons, pale purple onion rings and white cheese crumbles cover the golden pieces.
The little bowl of chili flakes is a nice serving idea too. Put some alongside your own flatbread so everyone can choose how much to add.
browned sprouts with white crumbles
If you love lots of browned leaves, save this one. The sprouts have dark, curled edges with white cheese crumbles and chopped green herbs scattered throughout.
Read also: 20 Cozy Dinner Ideas for a Night In
For a similar finish, I’d choose feta and a little chopped chive. Keep the topping scattered rather than covering every sprout.
creamy soup with bacon
Last but definitely not least, we have this creamy soup idea. I love the bright sprout leaves in the middle, surrounded by bacon pieces and dark seasoning specks.
A small swirl of oil is visible across the pale surface. I’d serve a version of this with bread on the side and let that colorful garnish stay the focus.