I adore Brussels Sprouts. They’re one of my all-time fave veggies and I love finding ways to dress ’em up to really utilize their amazing flavor and texture. One thing I love a lot more (like, A LOT more) than Brussels Sprouts, is cheese. Cheese, for me, is the Alpha and the Omega and I have yet to find a hunk of earthy, creamy, stinky stuff that I won’t eat. Speking of cheese-covered: lately, I’ve been really toying with the idea of French Onion-inspired food – I love French Onion soup and I can’t think of any reason to limit its rich, earthy, umami, gruyere-covered flavor to one dish, so I thought I’d see how the traditional flavors of the classic soup lend themselves to a veggie-based side dish. Let me tell ya: the results did not disappoint.
I didn’t go FULL French Onion on this gratin: I used chicken stock instead of beef stock, which would have really transformed this into a distinct French Onion descendant, but the Gruyere cheese and earthiness of the veggies was enough to make this a really stand-out side dish. Seriously, this stuff is dangerously good: I saw a member of my family (who shall remain nameless – cheese can make people do shameful things) literally take a fork and eat it right out of the casserole dish. Here’s how I make it.
Decadent Brussels Sprouts Gratin
The Brussels Sprout has never looked (or tasted) so good. This recipe will make a Brussels Sprout lover out of even the most die-hard carnivore.
Ingredients
- 1 2 lb bag Brussels Sprouts {halved}
- 2 tbsp Salted Butter
- 2 tbsp White Flour
- 1/2 cup Chicken Stock
- 1/4 cup Heavy Cream
- 1/3 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Pepper
- 1 pinch Ground Nutmeg
- 6 oz Shredded Gruyere Cheese
- 2 tbsp Italian Bread Crumbs
- Olive oil
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and boil the Brussels Sprouts for 8 minutes. Remove from the hot water and place in a non-stick 8x8 baking dish or a standard 8x8 baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray.
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Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat. Once butter is melted, add the flour - one tbsp at a time - and whisk quickly and constantly, to combine.
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Once the butter and flour have thickened and are silky smooth, add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer.
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Once simmering, add the cream and Parmesan cheese and stir to combine. Once the cheese is melted, add the salt, pepper and nutmeg and combine.
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Add the cheese sauce to the Brussels and stir to coat the Brussels. Top with the Gruyere cheese. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the cheese and drizzle olive oil over the bread crumbs. Bake for 15 minutes, until the cheese is brown and bubbly on top. Enjoy!
