OK, I am going to wax lyrical about Brussels sprouts. Stay with me because after this evangelism you will see the light- and it is green. Brussels sprouts gratin with breadcrumbs is an irresistible oven-baked side dish of nutty, firm sprouts, smuggled in a garlicky cheese sauce and generously sprinkled with crunchy breadcrumbs. In under an hour, you can call yourself a sprout convert.
Sprouts come into season over the holidays, which is why we mostly see them on the table alongside turkey and roast potatoes. But being harvested up until March means you can enjoy them with almost anything, even a Spring pasta or risotto.
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Brussels sprouts gratin
Sprouts have a bad rep. But really, they are just misunderstood. And poorly prepared. I think as kids, we all suffered Granny’s Sunday lunch of greying slivers of beef, congealed gravy, lumpy mash and mushy veg. Well, those days are over and the outcast sprout is back in all its gleaming green glory.
While I’ll happily plough through a plate of tender sprouts, buttered with lashings of lemon and salt and pepper, that’s a little too confronting for some. Begin your reintroduction to sprouts with a cheesy Brussels sprouts bake.
This recipe smothers the miniature brassica with a rich, sharp and garlicky cheese sauce. Choosing mature cheddar cheese brings saltiness, and its seamless melt factor makes the dish super comforting. Infusing the sauce with thyme sprigs adds a herbal element, reminiscent of mint.
When it comes to any bake, I can’t help but top it with crunchy Panko breadcrumbs, it’s a small investment of time and effort but it really elevates this side to event-worthy status. Finally, I add chopped nuts (optional) for extra wow!
How to cook Brussels sprouts
Sprouts have been cropping up all over the food pages in newspapers and online cooking blogs in recent years and for good reason! Not only are they inexpensive, locally grown (in the UK and North America), and nutritious, there are tons of creative ways to cook a sprout.
But first, how to prepare them. Brussels sprouts are at their most beautiful on the stalk. And at their freshest. If you can, go for on-the-stalk. After marvelling at nature’s perfect geometry (sounds geeky, but it’s actually awe-inspiring), remove each sprout with a knife.
Next, and this is the same for off-the-stalk, trim the woody stems back. There is no need to cut an X in them, this will make too soft.
However, if they are uneven in size, chop the larger ones in half. If some of the outer leaves are damaged or an unsightly brown, peel them off. That part is very satisfying, btw.
Now, your sprouts are ready for the boil. I add them to salted boiling water and give them four minutes max. This maintains a pleasing al dente texture. Any longer and you’ll be into the mushy sprout nightmares of your childhood.
Bright, nutty and firm, they are now ready for this Brussels sprouts gratin recipe. Or just drizzle with olive oil, lemon and pepper to really showcase their heavenly splendour.
If I lost you at ‘boil’, don’t lose faith there! There’s more than one way to cook a sprout.
A roasted sprout is a wondrous thing. Slightly charred and with caramel notes, this recipe for crispy Brussels sprouts with honey and bacon will convert any sprout sceptic. Or for a meat-free approach; easy roasted Parmesan Brussels sprouts with carrots.
Recipe tips and notes
- The Brussels sprouts must be cooked before baking in the gratin. I just boiled mine in four minutes, but you could roast yours for a more deeply nutty taste.
- By roasting, the vegetables’ natural sugars are intensified making them sweeter, and temptingly crispy.
- I used one large stalk of Brussels sprouts, which equalled about 600g. It made the ideal cheese sauce-to-vegetable ratio.
- I like my cheese sauce to be smooth so there is more of a contrast against the bitey sprouts. I blended the sauce with an immersion blender to whizz out the onion bits. If they don’t bother you, or you’re short on time, there’s no need to blend.
- A splash of white wine will bring a little tang to cut through the creamy sauce. Feel free to leave it out if you’re not a cook who uses it.
- Mature (aged) cheddar works best here, it is sharp and melts well. You could use any other cheese you prefer, but I advise against mild-flavoured mozzarella. It brings nothing to this dish.
- Use a wide, shallow dish for your Brussels sprouts bake.
- And when you think it can’t get any better- this dish can be prepared in advance! Prepare the dish up to the point of adding the topping and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before oven cooking.
Serving suggestions
If you’ve come this far, you are all thinking it- yes, Brussels sprouts gratin is the ultimate holiday side dish. It’s a show-stopping, timesaving, supremely delicious vegetable dish for either your Christmas or Thanksgiving table. Or both!
A roast turkey is the obvious choice, and the fluid cheese sauce compliments the white meat beautifully. But for more roast inspo take a look at my holiday recipe collections.
And if you’re planning on homemade gravy, I suggest saving the sprout water. When vegetables are boiled, they lose some of their nutrients to the cooking water- use it if you can!
Storage and leftovers
Leftover baked Brussels sprouts will keep in the fridge covered for 2-4 days. Tempting as it is to get ahead on a holiday feast, I don’t recommend freezing this dish- a soggy sprouts swamp will ruin potential conversions.
More side dishes to try:
- Lemon Butter Green Beans
- Garlic Butter Dinner Rolls
- Rosemary Potatoes Au Gratin
- Braised Cabbage with Beets and Bacon
Brussels Sprouts Gratin with Breadcrumbs
Equipment
- This is an affiliate link.Immersion blender
Ingredients
- 600g / 1⅓ lbs Brussels sprouts
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 shallots chopped
- 2-3 thyme sprigs leaves only or ¼ tsp dried thyme
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 tbsp flour
- 500ml / 2 cups whole milk
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 120g / 4 oz mature (aged) cheddar
- 70ml / ¼ cup dry white wine optional
- 60g / ½ cup This is an affiliate link.panko breadcrumbs
- 50g / 2 oz walnuts or pecans
- 1 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Boil the Brussels sprouts for 4 minutes. Drain and steam dry. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.
- While the Brussels sprouts are cooking, make the sauce. Melt the butter in a large pan or a saucepan and add the chopped shallots with the thyme leaves to it, sauté over low heat for 10 minutes without colouring it, then add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds longer.
- Stir in the flour and continue cooking while stirring until it smells a bit nutty, now pour in the whole milk while stirring with a whisk to avoid lumps, add the nutmeg and a pinch of salt and cook over low heat for 10 minutes stirring once in a while until the sauce thickens and coats a spoon. Now blend it with an immersion blender for a silky smooth sauce or leave it as it is. Stir in the grated cheese and continue stirring over low heat till blended. Then slowly blend in the white wine if you are into that delicious Swiss fondue taste. Taste and add more salt if needed.
- Prepare the breadcrumb topping by mixing the melted butter with the breadcrumbs and chopped walnuts.
- Butter a shallow baking dish ( or you can bake it in the same skillet you made the sauce in) and add the Brussels sprouts, then pour the sauce over them, and top with breadcrumb and nut topping the cook in the preheated oven for 25 minutes until hot and bubbly and the breadcrumbs are golden.
Notes
- Cook the Brussles sprouts before baking in the gratin. Mine only needed four minutes.
- By roasting, the vegetables’ natural sugars are intensified making them sweeter, and temptingly crispy. Roasting longer will intensify the deep, nutty flavour.
- I used one large stalk of Brussels sprouts, which equalled about 600g and which made for the ideal cheese sauce-to-vegetable ratio.
- I prefer the cheese sauce to be smooth so there is more of a contrast against the sprouts. I used an immersion blender to blend in the onion bits, but you can skip this step if you are short on time and are happy with the chunks.
- A splash of white wine will bring a little tang to cut through the creamy sauce, but feel free to leave it out if you prefer.
- The sharp flavour of mature (aged) cheddar works best here, and it melts well. You could use any other cheese you prefer, but I advise against mild-flavoured mozzarella as it brings nothing to this dish.
- Choose a wide, shallow dish for your Brussels sprouts bake.
- This dish can be prepared in advance. Prepare the dish up to the point of adding the topping and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before oven cooking.
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