Kick your Brussels sprouts in the butt with this decadent (but easy!) gratin.
This Brussels sprouts gratin is so satisfying and delicious. It’s easy enough for any weeknight, but also works great for Thanksgiving.
Less Bitter Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts are a bit on the bitter side. To counter that, it’s a great idea to add fat and salt. The fat makes it harder for your taste buds to detect the bitterness. The salt balances the bitter.
Because of that, this gratin dish is a wonderful use of Brussels sprouts. Especially if you’re trying to win over someone who is wary of this vegetable.
How To Make Brussels Sprouts Gratin
In this gratin, the fat is in the form of olive oil, heavy cream and Cheddar cheese. The salt is from the, well, salt. Specifically, kosher salt that you toss the sprouts with before roasting them.
Start by trimming and halving your sprouts. Then, you mix them together with salt, pepper, and olive oil in a baking dish. Roast until they’re tender and browned, about 25 minutes.
Then you drizzle in the cream and sprinkle with cheesy seasoned breadcrumbs before baking a bit longer. You want the cream hot and bubbly and the topping to get browned, another 15 minutes or so.
That’s it! Let your gratin rest for a few minutes then it’s time to dig in and enjoy.
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Roasted Brussels Sprouts Gratin
Kick your Brussels sprouts in the butt with this decadent (but easy!) gratin.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 lb. medium-sized Brussels sprouts
- 2 Tbsps. olive oil, divided
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese, tightly packed
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- Pinch of nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Trim the bottom stem nub off of the Brussels sprouts and cut them all in half. Put the sprouts in a gratin dish or casserole dish that is wide enough that the sprouts are only one or two deep. Oh, and be sure to include any little leaves that fell off in the trimming process since these will get nice and crispy and extra delicious when roasted.
- Toss the sprouts with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, ½ teaspoon of kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon of coarse black pepper. Roast in the oven until they’re starting to get nice and brown but are still a bit al dente when pricked with a fork, 25-30 minutes.
- Meanwhile combine the panko, cheddar, garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Use your fingers to get in there and mix it, crumbling as you go so that the cheese breaks up into smaller bits and really mixes into the crumbs. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and mix up the crumbs again.
- Measure the heavy cream into a measuring cup and then stir in the nutmeg. Drizzle the cream over the roasted sprouts and then stir them up a bit to get them all evenly coated. Spread the breadcrumb mixture evenly on top and then return the dish to the oven until the crumbs are browned, 15-20 minutes.
- Let it sit for 5 minutes before serving.
This post originally appeared in November 2015 and was revised and republished in October 2022.
Can this be made with frozen brussels sprouts? Can frozen sprouts be used in any brussels sprouts recipes?
Tamara, I wouldn’t say that you can use Brussels sprouts in *any* recipe that calls for fresh. However, any time that the sprouts are going to be in a sauce, or not dry-cooked, I think frozen would work. So, in this case, yes, I think you could use frozen. They may not brown in the first roasting step, but the final dish will still taste great.