Brussels sprouts, the long undervalued and overlooked relative of cabbage, are finally getting some love. 

Not the most romantic vegetable, these leafy-green pods recently hit the foodie spotlight, despite their bad reputation. But don’t be fooled. No matter what BuzzFeed tells you, Brussels sprouts didn’t become delicious overnight. They’ve seen things. They’ve been around. 

Disregard the hype and just enjoy them for what they are. There are plenty of options for the tender vegetable. When I say dress to impress this holiday season, I don’t mean with your apparel. Make those B-sprouts stand out. 

If cooking isn’t on the schedule, head on over to Cafe Mueller and try the delicious crispy sprouts there. In a time crunch, they’re delightful when roasted — Jezebel was a little late to the game, calling this method “The New Truth and The New Light.” But at least the exclamatory post may have led many on the path to Brussels sprouts. 

Or, avoid the fad and cook them in some balsamic vinegar with dried cranberries. Pan-frying them with butter is just as easy. Or, bake up this glorious skillet recipe at any holiday potluck you attend in the next few weeks. 

It’s a fairly simple dish that only dirties a few pans. A cast iron skillet is recommended, but an 8-by-8 pan would work as well. There are several ways to spice up or add different flavor profiles to the Brussels sprout bake. I recommend adding half a jalapeno, with seeds, to the sauce. If the people around the table can handle the heat, a spicy pepper cheese is sure to make the dish stand out even more. If not, sharp cheddar is classic. 

The recipe calls for Vegenaise, the lighter and more hipster-friendly version of mayonnaise. Greek yogurt subs in for what would typically be sour cream in a recipe like this, giving the dish a slightly less tangy, heavy sauce.

To make the bake more dynamic, frozen bags of corn and edamame are used to complement the Brussels sprouts. Zap them in the microwave for a few minutes to get the frost off, and then they will be good to go. Don’t worry about actually defrosting or cooking them first. 

When this Brussels sprout bake hits the table this season, listen to the crunch of bread crumbs as the first serving is dished out, and watch closely, because it will be eaten up in a flash. 

Take some time to get to know Brussels sprouts this season. Everyone else is.

Recipe:
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 40-50 minutes

Ingredients:
– ½  medium onion
– 2 cloves garlic
– ½  shallot
– 1 cup greek yogurt
– 1 cup Vegenaise
– 1 tsp salt
– ½ tsp pepper
– 1 tbs cream or milk
– ½ jalapeno
– 1 lb. Brussels sprouts
– 1 12 oz. bag frozen sweet cut corn
– 1 12 oz. bag frozen edamame
– 2 cups shredded cheese (pepper or sharp cheddar)
– ½ cup bread crumbs

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
– Chop onion, garlic and shallot, and then sauté until onion starts to brown.
– Place cooked ingredients, greek yogurt, Vegenaise, salt, pepper, cream and jalapeno in blender. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
– Microwave corn and edamame.
– Cut Brussels sprouts (slice off the ends, and then halve the sprouts) and put half of them at the bottom of the skillet. Cover with half of the corn and edamame mixture. Then put half of the sauce on top, followed by cheese and then bread crumbs.
– Repeat one more time. Make sure the bread crumbs on top cover the whole skillet. Add more if necessary.
– Cook 40-50 minutes until the top of the bake is golden brown. Let sit 5 minutes before serving and enjoying.