Brussels Sprouts Gratin (holiday side dish!) - The Chunky Chef (2024)

Crisp tender brussels sprouts baked in a rich and creamy cheese sauce, and topped with crispy smoky bacon. This is the perfect holiday side dish recipe!

ThisBrussels Sprouts Gratin recipe is one of those recipes we have with so many of our family dinners and for holidays like Easter. We also love easy Easter recipes like myCopycat HoneyBaked HamandCreamy Baked Mac and Cheese. This is one of mySide Dishesrecipes I know you’ll want to keep on hand!

BRUSSELS SPROUTS GRATIN RECIPE

Growing up, I was definitely not a fan of brussels sprouts. Probably sounds familiar right? Sadly, they’re the outcasts of the vegetable world.

As an adult, I’ve been trying new things, and once I tried them roasted on a sheet pan, I realized, I’d been totally missing out. Sprouts are fantastic!!

But once I tried them this way, sautéed with shallots and garlic, drizzled with cream, smothered in gooey cheese and topped with crispy bacon… I officially fell in LOVE!!

I can’t tell you that these converted my sprout-hating children… although it did convince my daughter to try one, which is a victory in and of itself.

But for any adults… I think these would absolutely convert them to a sprout lover!!

HOW TO MAKE BRUSSELS SPROUTS GRATIN

1. Preheat oven and saute sprouts and shallots. A lot of gratin recipes don’t call for any sautéing to be done, but I like the added flavor it adds, plus is cuts down on the oven time. Go ahead and add your seasonings here, so the flavor really develops.
2. Turn off the heat, add cream. The reason we remove the pan from the heat before adding the cream is so it doesn’t get heated too much. Too much heat, too quickly, could potentially curdle the cream – and no one wants that.
3. Sprinkle with cheeses and bacon and bake. No need to stir the cheeses in, just sprinkle them evenly over the top. Bake about 12 minutes, until hot and bubbly.

ADDITIONAL COOKING TIPS

The part that takes the longest here is prepping your brussels sprouts… sometimes those little buggers can be tedious to prepare. Especially for this recipe, when you’re going to want about 32 oz of sprouts (2 lbs).

HOW TO TRIM BRUSSELS SPROUTS

When looking at fresh brussels sprouts, you’ll see a hard little bit of stem at the base. Take a sharp kitchen knife and carefully trim off that bottom stem.

Remove any loose outer leaves, and slice in half from top to bottom. Don’t worry if a few other leave fall off during the cooking process. If the sprouts are giant, go ahead and quarter them.

VARIATIONS OF THIS RECIPE

• CASSEROLE – if you’d rather not saute the sprouts with the shallots, you can add everything to a casserole dish (9×13 works well). Bake at 400°F degrees for about 25-30 minutes, until bubbly and hot.
• BREADCRUMB TOPPING – for a more traditional gratin dish, top these brussels sprouts with 1 cup of panko breadcrumbs that’s mixed with a tablespoon or so of melted butter.
• CHEESES – if you prefer a different blend of cheeses, feel free to substitute with your favorites. Parmesan or Swiss are great alternatives.

MAKING BRUSSELS SPROUTS GRATIN AHEAD OF TIME

I love that this recipe can be made ahead of time, which is perfect for the holidays!

To reheat, bake in a 350°F oven, uncovered, until warm throughout, 12-15 minutes.

STORAGE

Leftovers should be refrigerated in an airtight container and consumed within 3 days for best flavor.

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT FOR THIS RECIPE

• Cast Iron Skillet– I use my cast iron pan for SO many things, you love it!
• Enameled Skillet – Also cast iron, but with the added benefit of easy cleanup!

I really hope you all give these Cheesy Brussels sprouts with Bacon a try… you definitely won’t regret it!!

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Recipe closely adapted from Delish