Brussels sprouts are already a popular and nutritious vegetable, but when baked in a gratin, they become the ultimate comfort food. Just give this Brussels Gratin a try and you’ll understand! They transform into a cheesy, indulgent dish that you won’t want to share… who knew that statement could be true about veggies?! One bite of Brussels Gratin and you’ll be transported to a cheesy, savory heaven. Dig in!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Brussels sprouts
- 4 slices bacon, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup shallots, diced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup whole milk, plus more, to taste
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 1/4 cups Gruyère cheese, shredded, divided
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Step 2 –In a large pot of boiling salted water, blanch the sprouts until they are crisp-tender, about 3-5 minutes.
Step 3 –Drain the sprouts well and place them in a bowl of ice water until they are cool.
Step 4 –Drain the cooled sprouts well.
Step 5 –In a large oven-proof skillet over the medium-high heat, add the bacon slices and cook until they are brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes.
Step 6 –Reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease in the skillet and discard the rest. Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate.
Step 7 –Add the garlic and the shallots to the bacon grease and cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Step 8 –Whisk the flour into the garlic mixture until it is lightly browned, about 1 minute.
Step 9 –Gradually whisk the milk, the heavy cream, the thyme, and the nutmeg into the flour mixture and cook, whisking constantly, until it is incorporated and thickens slightly, about 1-2 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add more of the milk as needed.
Step 10 –Season the sauce with the salt and the pepper.
Step 11 –Stir the cooled sprouts, the cooked bacon, and 1 cup of the cheese into the sauce until the cheese has melted, about 1-2 minutes.
Step 12 –Sprinkle the sprout mixture with the remaining cheese.
Step 13 –Bake the sprout mixture until it is golden-brown and bubbly, about 20-25 minutes.
Step 14 –Serve immediately.
