Cheesy Brussels sprouts gratin recipe with bacon
The perfect side dish for Christmas is this Brussels sprouts gratin. It has a creamy sauce and is made with fresh Brussels sprouts. What’s not to love? Well if you’re fan of brussels sprouts of course.
Brussels sprouts gratin
I make Brussel sprouts quite often I have to say. It’s usually a quick dish of the little green cabbage and some bacon and/ or nuts and then roasted in the oven. It is by far my favorite way to eat them. However for a special occasion like Christmas you might want to change things up a little and this gratin is the perfect way to do it.
It’s essentially not much different from my regular Brussels sprouts recipe but it has the added extra of the creamy cheese sauce and of course the cheesy goodness. Because you can never have enough cheese I would think. Since you only really use the oven for that cheesy gratin, you need to make sure all the other elements are already cooked.
I first start by cooking the Brussels sprouts until they’re just tender. Do not overcook them! You can also roast them in the oven instead of cooking. I love roasting them more but it does take a bit of extra time. But both are definitely possible.
Preparing
Apart from cooking the brussels sprouts you also need to make sure the bacon is crispy. You can add a bit of olive oil to the pan before you add the sliced bacon but I tend to add them to the pan without additional oil. Usually there is enough oil coming out of the bacon, so it depends on how lean the meat is. Obviously if you want to bake the onion and garlic first you do need to add oil. You could alternatively add the bacon first and the onion and garlic later. The bacon fat will be enough for cooking the onion and the garlic.
Once the onion is translucent, you add the garlic and the drained and cooked Brussels sprouts. Fry them briefly in the pan on medium heat. Stir in the creme fraiche or use heavy cream to make it a creamy sauce. Add about 75 g of the grated cheese. You can use parmesan cheese or regular Gouda cheese. The latter is better in melting, so I tend to go for a combination of cheeses. I also like to add gruyere cheese or a punchy Swiss cheese.
Now season the dish with black pepper and a bit of salt before adding to the prepared baking dish. Add the additional cheese on top of the brussels sprouts and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden brown.
The sauce
Now the sauce I used is super simple with just the creme fraiche but you could make it a little more creamy by making a béchamel sauce instead. You can add crispy bread crumbs (panko) on top before sliding into the oven to give it a more crispy finish. The brussels sprouts gratin is really a very easy side dish and perfect for your collection of Christmas side dishes. I find it is always a crowd pleaser, providing everyone love roasted brussels sprouts. The Brussels sprouts gratin would be perfect as a side dish for the roasted leg of lamb but it also works well with most other christmas dishes. I’m sure it will be a family favorite soon!
That said; it’s perfect for Christmas but since it’s a delicious comfort food you can definitely serve it any other time. It’s also a perfect addition to the thanksgiving table. It will work wonderfully with roasted turkey too.
Brussel sprouts gratin
Ingredients
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 100 g bacon bits
- 75 g roasted hazelnuts
- 500 g sprouts
- 100 g old cheese grated
- 125 g creme fraiche
- 25 g butter
- salt and pepper
- Clean the Brussels sprouts and pre-cook them in lightly salted water for about 5 minutes.
- Drain and drain well and steam.
- Heat a frying pan and fry the bacon in it. Add the chopped onion and fry until translucent. Add garlic and the drained Brussels sprouts and fry briefly.
- Stir the creme fraiche through the sprouts and about 75 grams of the grated cheese. Season with salt and pepper if necessary.
- Transfer the Brussels sprouts to an oven dish and sprinkle with the rest of the grated cheese. Spread a few knobs of butter on top and gratinate in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden brown.
Nutrition Information per portion
Disclaimer
The nutritional values above are calculated per portion. The details are based on standard nutritional tables and do not constitute a professional nutritional advice.
