Sautéed Brussels Sprouts

I saw a unique way to prepare Brussels sprouts on TV recently, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. In fact, I dreamed about them (really) and craved them for days. I just had to try and figure out the recipe, which combined the sprouts with toasted hazelnuts, fresh sage leaves, some kind of fancy Swiss cheese and a unique sort of grape juice. I went to my kitchen and tried to recreate this side dish with the ingredients I had on hand. I made a few substitutions, and I don’t know if I did the recipe justice—but these Brussels sprouts sure are delicious in my book.

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts

¼ cup butter (to lighten things up, try half butter and half healthy spread, such as Smart Balance)
1 lb. fresh Brussels sprouts, halved
Kosher salt
Pepper
Sliced almonds
Chopped fresh rosemary
Grated Swiss cheese
Good balsamic vinegar/syrup (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When the butter is hot and smells nutty, add the sprouts, cut side down, and season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 15 minutes until well-browned. Transfer skillet to the oven. When sprouts roast to desired tenderness, sprinkle with sliced almonds, rosemary and cheese. Return to oven to melt cheese. Before serving, drizzle with balsamic vinegar.