We had over a pound of Brussels sprouts that we’d bought for a different recipe but didn’t end up using (hi, Postmates). Unrelated, but these sprouts were monsters too — practically like mini cabbages. We were trying to think of something interesting to do with them and came across a recipe for fritters. “Sliders!” my husband Ed instantly declared. “We’re making sliders!”

We topped the crunchy, pan-fried fritters with an herb cream to brighten up the dish. On top of that — a slab of bread cheese, or leipäjuusto as it’s known in Finland. Bread cheese is a squeaky cow’s milk cheese with a high melting point that’s delicious simply grilled in a pan. We decided to try it because it’s a lot cheaper this time of year than halloumi, which we’ve used several times before to make sandwiches.

Anyway, I hope you’ll give these delicious, veggie-loaded fritters a try! They’re guaranteed to surprise.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb. Brussels sprouts

• 4 green onions, finely chopped

• 1/3 c. all-purpose flour

• 2 t. salt

• 1/2 T. black pepper

• 1 t. garlic powder

• 1/4 t. cayenne

• 2 eggs

• 3 T. olive oil + extra

• 1 package bread cheese, cut into chunks

• Slider rolls

• Butter

• 1/2 c. light sour cream

• Juice of half a lemon

• Fresh dill, rosemary and thyme

• 1/2 a red onion, diced

STEPS

1) Chop the stems off the Brussels sprouts and remove the outer leaves. If the sprouts are particularly large, you might need to cut them in half. Use a mandolin, food processor or knife to shred the sprouts.

2) Add the sprouts to a large bowl and use your hands to fluff them up a bit so that all the pieces are separated. Add the green onions and eggs.

3) In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder and cayenne. Whisk to combine, then pour into the Brussels sprouts bowl. Toss well to coat. At this point, make sure you can form a patty with the Brussels mixture that will stick together; if it doesn’t stick, you might need to add more flour or eggs. We used just over one pound of Brussels sprouts, and 1/3 c. flour + 2 eggs worked out perfectly. Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes.

4) While the Brussels sprouts mixture is sitting, dice your red onion and prepare your herb cream. Add the sour cream to a bowl with the lemon juice and fresh herbs to taste (as much or as little as you want). Season with salt and pepper and whisk well. If it’s too tart, you might need to add a pinch of sugar.

5) Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and add two tablespoons olive oil — note that you’ll need to add more olive oil as you cook the fritters so the pan doesn’t dry out, but if you add too much oil the fritters will be overly fried. Just add enough to keep the pan wet.

6) Form patties with the Brussels sprouts mixture and place 3-4 gently in the pan. Flatten the fritters with a spatula. Cook about 3 minutes, then flip and cook for another 3 minutes until each side is golden brown. Repeat the process until all your fritters are made.

7) Heat two separate pans over medium-high heat. Butter the slider rolls and place them butter-side down in one pan. Add the sliced bread cheese to the other pan. Cook both the slider rolls and the bread cheese until they start to brown — note that you don’t need to add anything else to the pan with the bread cheese, as it contains more than enough oil.

8) Assemble the sliders! Place a fritter on one of the buns and top with a small spoonful of the herb cream. Add the red onions, a piece of bread cheese, and the final bun. Serve with additional herb cream for dipping, if desired.