Brussels Sprouts au Gratin
This brussels sprouts au gratin is the perfect cheesy side to serve throughout the holidays. Brussels sprouts are baked in an irresistible creamy sauce until crisp and golden. It's an easy one-pan recipe, and it's ready in just 35 minutes.
If you love cheesy side dishes, also try our cheesy white bean tomato bake or cheesy spaghetti squash lasagna boats.
Here's a delicious recipe that needs to make an appearance on your holiday table this year. Brussels sprouts au gratin is everything we want a side dish to be – it's creamy, comforting, and full of flavor.
While some au gratin recipes call for béchamel sauce, this no-fuss recipe uses cream and a flour slurry for a rich-tasting sauce that's equally creamy. The recipe is really simple, and it's all done in one pot so clean-up is easy.
You'll start by cooking some bacon. Then, using the same pan, add the veggies and cook them until they start to soften. Pour in the slurry and the cream, then sprinkle on the cheese. Top it with crumbled bacon, and bake until golden and bubbly. Yum!
It's easy enough to whip up this dish on a weeknight too, and with a protein main like crockpot roasted chicken, it's comfort food at its finest.
What is ‘au gratin'?
Au gratin is a classic French cooking method that uses cream, cheese, butter, and often herbs. It refers to any dish topped with cheese or breadcrumbs, mixed with butter, and browned to form a crispy crust.
Brussels sprouts au gratin ingredients
These are the ingredients you'll need to make brussels sprouts au gratin:
- Bacon – just a few strips add a bit of smoky bacon flavor. Feel free to omit for a vegetarian version.
- Brussels sprouts – these bright green little guys tend to make their appearance in early fall. They're similar in taste to cabbage, and when cooked are crispy on the outside but tender in the middle.
- Onion garlic, salt + pepper = flavor!
- Flour – instead of making a béchamel, which can be involved, we make a slurry using all-purpose flour and stock, which cooks up into a nice thick sauce.
- Chicken stock – we always have some of our homemade chicken stock on hand, but you can use store-bought. Use vegetable stock to make it vegetarian.
- Cream – we use heavy cream (37%+) or whipping cream (33-36%) for that full flavor experience.
- Grated cheddar + parmesan cheese– for that bold, cheesy, au gratin goodness.
How to make brussels sprouts au gratin
This brussels sprouts gratin recipe is a creamy, comforting, and classy dish for dinner parties or holiday menus. Here's how we make it in a couple of simple steps:
- While your oven preheats, cook the bacon until it's nice and crispy. Remove it, and crumble it when it's cool enough to handle.
- While the bacon cooks, prepare your veggies. Toss the brussels sprouts along with the onion, garlic, salt, and pepper back into the same pan, and cook.
- Make a slurry with the flour by adding it to a bowl, then slowly stir in stock a little at a time.
- Pour this slurry, along with the cream and most of the cheese, over the brussels. Mix everything together and sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese and crumbled bacon.
- Bake until the sauce is nice and thick and the brussels start to brown. If you have some herbs on hand like fresh thyme, sprinkle some on and serve warm.
Full recipe instructions are in the recipe card below.
Tips for choosing brussels sprouts
Brussels sprouts reach their peak season in October through November. This timing makes them perfect for the holiday season! Here are a few things to keep in mind when buying them:
- The smaller ones tend to be more tender and sweet
- Larger ones are easier to work with
- Look for a bright green color with no yellow or brown outer leaves
- They should be firm and heavy for their size (like compact tiny cabbages)
- They'll stay fresh for up to 10 days in the fridge
FAQS
Yes, it's easy to make this dish vegetarian! Simply omit the bacon and add a tablespoon of butter to the cooking pan instead. And swap the chicken stock for vegetable stock.
If you're hosting a dinner party, you can prepare this dish the day before. Cook the bacon and assemble the gratin. Then, instead of cooking it, cover it and refrigerate it. Before dinner, cook it in a preheated oven as directed, adding an extra 5 minutes of cooking time.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
While we love the combination of cheddar cheese and parmesan, gruyère cheese also tastes great.
What to serve with brussels sprouts au gratin
This rich and comforting side dish is the perfect addition to holiday menus at Thanksgiving or Christmas. You don't have to wait for the holidays to make it though. It's a delicious dish for date night or fall dinner parties when brussels sprouts are in season.
Fall side dishes that taste great with brussels sprouts au gratin
- Pretty Sweet Potato Casserole with Peppery Pecan Topping
- Wild Rice Stuffing with Cranberries, Pecans, and Sweet Potatoes
- Green Bean Casserole
More brussels sprouts recipes
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
- Crispy Parmesan Brussels Sprouts
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad
Brussels Sprouts au Gratin
If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!
Ingredients
- 4 strips bacon
- 2 lb brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
- ½ medium onion, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon flour, or cornstarch
- ¾ cup chicken stock
- ½ cup cream
- ½ cup grated cheddar
- ½ cup grated parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the bacon to a medium-sized, oven-safe frying pan over medium heat and cook until it's crispy, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pan and crumble it once it's cool.4 strips bacon
- Prep the veggies while the bacon is cooking. Then, add the brussels sprouts to the pan the bacon was cooked in and toss to coat. Top with the onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Put the pan back onto the heat and cook for 5 minutes.2 lb brussels sprouts, ½ medium onion, 3 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper
- Put the flour into a small bowl or cup and add the stock, a little at a time, to make a slurry.¾ cup chicken stock, 1 tablespoon flour
- Pour the slurry and the cream over the brussels. Add most of the cheddar and parmesan and mix everything together well. Sprinkle the remaining cheese and the crumbled bacon over top.½ cup cream, ½ cup grated cheddar, ½ cup grated parmesan
- Put the pan into the oven and bake until the sauce has thickened and the brussels are starting to brown on top, 15-20 minutes.
Love this fun twist on a traditional potato au gratin recipe! The brussels sprouts turned out to be tender and were so tasty with the gratin sauce and bacon! Yum!
I love this grain recipe with Brussels sprouts.
Saving this for Thanksgiving. I made it last Sunday and it was so rich and flavorful. Can’t wait to make again.
I was looking for a new way to serve brussels sprouts this year and this is it. These brussels sprouts au gratin is very tasty and I know my family and guests will love it.
This was such a hearty and delicious side dish that even my picky eaters loved! Adding this to my Thanksgiving menu; it’s the perfect side dish with just about anything!