I suppose there are a few people who love brussels sprouts right from the start, but there are many more of us who've needed a bit more convincing to embrace these mini-cabbage shaped vegetables. I was a bit of a slow adapter myself when it came to brussels sprouts, but these days I love them. Apparently a lot of other food bloggers do too, because right now brussels sprouts are hot, hot, hot on the food blogs, with drool-worthy brussels sprouts recipes popping up every day.

It's time to start thinking about your menu for Thanksgiving (more coming about that over the weekend and next week!) but I thought brussels sprouts deserved their own special post, since they seem to be the trendy Thanksgiving side dish this year. If you're not quite sure brussels sprouts will fly as a Thanksgiving vegetable at your house, give one of these recipes a trial run over the weekend and see if you're convinced.

Photo of Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan Cheese
from White On Rice Couple

Let's start with a recipe that White on Rice Couple is calling Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan Cheese. There's more than Parmesan going on here though, because these are brussels sprouts baked slowly at low heat with cream cheese, mayo, and Parmesan cheese. When I read this recipe, my tastebuds shouted "Wow!"

Photo of Brussels Sprouts with Black Bean Garlic Sauce
from Simply Recipes

I also did a culinary double-take and zeroed in on these Brussels Sprouts with Black Bean Garlic Sauce by guest author Garrett McCord at Simply Recipes. This sounds like an amazing non-traditional Thanksgiving vegetable, and it's also easy to make.

Photo of Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Parmesan
from Eating/sf

Kasey from Eating/sf is another blogger who's noticed that brussels sprouts are in the spotlight, and her Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Parmesan are a combination that I think could convince almost anyone. There's also the tiniest bit of lemon here to really brighten the flavor.

Photo of Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Walnuts, and Balsamic Vinegar
from Daily Unadventures in Cooking

Another recipe that got my attention was the Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Walnuts, and Balsamic Vinegar from Daily Unadventures in Cooking. As a bonus (especially on Thanksgiving) Katrina says this recipe only dirties one pan!

Photo of Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pecans and Gorgonzola Cheese
from Kalyn's Kitchen

Finally I must seriously advise you to try Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pecans and Gorgonzola Cheese, the recipe that rocked my world last week. This recipe was good even without the added Gorgonzola cheese, but after Sean from Hedonia advised me on Twitter to add some blue cheese to my roasted brussels sprouts, I couldn't stop eating them!

Brussels Sprouts Know-How:
How to Buy and Prep Brussels Sprouts from Vegan Yum Yum
How to Buy and Store Fresh Brussels Sprouts from Grocery Coupon Guide

More Ideas for Brussels Sprouts:
From BlogHer ~ Alanna also recommends brussels sprouts as one of Three Vegetables to Cozy Up to When the Weather Gets Cold
From A Veggie Venture ~ Creamy Brussels Sprouts Gratin
From Nourishing Days ~ Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pears and Thyme
From Chez LouLou ~ Gnocchi with Carmelized Brussels Sprouts and Pecans
From Lucullian Delights ~ Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts, Sesame Seeds, and Thyme

Now it's your turn to gush over brussels sprouts if you love them too. If you have a great recipe for brussels sprouts, please play along with a recipe or link to the recipe in the comments!

(Every Thursday night on BlogHer, we spotlight five recipes with a common theme for a feature called Weekend Menu Planning, hoping one of them might make it onto the menu at your house. You can find previous recipes shared by clicking the tag Weekend Menu Planning.)

Kalyn Denny also blogs at Kalyn's Kitchen, where she's focused on creating low-glycemic recipes using fresh ingredients.