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Brussels Sprouts Gratin

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This comforting Brussels sprouts gratin with a crispy, cheesy topping is a holiday favorite — and you can make it ahead of time!

brussels sprouts gratin

This Brussels sprouts gratin is a family favorite, and it’s perfect for the holidays because it can be made mostly ahead of time. It’s easy, too: Unlike most vegetable gratins, which are made with a béchamel sauce, this one is made much more simply with heavy cream. If you’re preparing this dish in advance, note that it requires 10 to15 minutes in the oven to warm through and crisp the topping before serving, so plan accordingly.

What you’ll need to make brussels sprouts gratin

Gratin ingredients including sea salt, brussels sprouts, and heavy cream.

Step-by-step Instructions

Begin by tossing the sprouts with two tablespoons of the butter, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Baking pan of brussels sprouts.

Roast for about 30 minutes, until tender and browned in spots.

Heavy cream pouring into a baking dish of brussels sprouts.

Pour the cream over the sprouts and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook for about 10 minutes more, or until the cream has thickened to a saucy consistency.

Brussels sprouts in a reduced cream mixture.

Meanwhile, combine the bread crumbs with one tablespoon of butter and the Gruyère.

Bowl of bread crumbs and cheese.

Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the sprouts.

Baking dish of brussels sprouts topped with a cheese mixture.

Broil until golden and crisp, 3-5 minutes.

Baking dish of brussels sprouts gratin.

Serve warm and enjoy.

Baking dish of brussels sprouts gratin missing a piece.

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Brussels Sprouts Gratin

This comforting Brussels sprouts gratin with a crispy, cheesy topping is a holiday favorite — and you can make it ahead of time!

Servings: 6-8
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 45 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds Brussels sprouts, stem ends trimmed and cut in half through the stem end
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup coarse fresh bread crumbs, from about 3 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
  • ¼ cup finely grated Gruyère
  • 1¼ cups heavy cream, at room temperature

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Put the Brussels sprouts in a 9x13-inch ceramic or metal baking dish, and toss with 2 tablespoons of the melted butter, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Spread the sprouts evenly in the dish and roast, tossing once halfway through, until tender and browned in spots, 25 to 30 minutes.
  2. While the sprouts roast, place the bread crumbs in a medium bowl. Pour the remaining tablespoon of melted butter over the crumbs and sprinkle with ⅛ teaspoon salt. Mix in the Gruyère. Set aside.
  3. When the sprouts are tender and browned, pour the cream evenly over the sprouts and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt. Continue baking until the cream has thickened to a saucy consistency, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven. Set the oven to broil and position a rack to 6 inches below the broiler. Sprinkle on the bread crumb mixture. Broil the gratin until the crust is golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes (keep a close eye on it so it doesn't burn).
  4. Make ahead tip: This recipe can be prepared a day ahead of time. Reheat in a 350°F oven, uncovered, until warm throughout and crisp on top, 10 to 15 minutes.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (8 servings)
  • Calories: 286
  • Fat: 20g
  • Saturated fat: 12g
  • Carbohydrates: 21g
  • Sugar: 4g
  • Fiber: 5g
  • Protein: 8g
  • Sodium: 462mg
  • Cholesterol: 67mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Comments

  • Made for Thanksgiving and it turned out lovely. I brought it to a dinner, so I made it 2 hours in advance and reheated right before serving and it was still good. I wouldn’t change anything.

    • — Midwest Trail Runner on November 26, 2023
    • Reply
  • I made this for Thanksgiving thinking that I would be the only one eating it. I LOVE Brussel Sprouts and did not think it would be a “crowd” pleaser. This recipe was the HIT of the party and EVERYONE asked me for the recipe! I roasted the sprouts the day before. I took a hint from someone else and made the bread crumbs from English muffins. The only thing I changed was that I added 1 cup of the gruyere instead of 1/4 cup. Thank you!!!

    • — Ruthie on November 24, 2023
    • Reply
  • Is there a trick to the bread crumbs from 3 slices of bread? Would removing the crust, chopping, and putting in a blender work? Thanks!

    • — Jessica on November 21, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Jessica, yep, that would work. Hope you enjoy!

      • — Jenn on November 21, 2023
      • Reply
    • Just tear by hand. Takes 2 minutes. Doesn’t have to be perfect as it all blends in.

      • — Midwest Trail Runner on November 26, 2023
      • Reply
  • I’ve made this before and it’s a huge hit! I’ve always made it as written, but can I get away with Panko breadcrumbs? I don’t have any white bread and I am trying to avoid a trip to the store.

    • — Tiffany Rodriguez on November 20, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Tiffany, I don’t think panko has enough heft for this — I worry that it will sink into the crevices and get absorbed by the cream. Sorry!

      • — Jenn on November 20, 2023
      • Reply
  • Is there anything I can substitute for the white bread to keep it glutten free or would it work without the bread topping?

    • — Robert A Hardick on November 18, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Robert, You could definitely use a gluten-free bread. It will still be good without the topping, but I think it’s better with a little crunch.

      • — Jenn on November 18, 2023
      • Reply
  • Can I make and bake without the topping step the day ahead and then add topping and broil before serving?

    • — Lori on November 17, 2023
    • Reply
    • That should work – enjoy!

      • — Jenn on November 17, 2023
      • Reply
  • I would like to double the recipe. Does everything need to be doubled since It will be made in a deep 9×13 ceramic pan or just the cream and butter?

    • — Robert A Hardick on November 13, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Robert, everything should be doubled. Enjoy!

      • — Jenn on November 14, 2023
      • Reply
  • *1 cup coarse fresh bread crumbs, from about 3 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed

    So, rookie here: how do you make bread crumbs from white bread? Do you just tear it apart? Is there baking involved?
    You’ve got instructions for making croutons on the site, but not bread crumbs. I really want to try this recipe.

    • — Kallisti on October 29, 2023
    • Reply
    • There’s no baking involved; for cornbread crumbs, you can just tear the bread into small pieces. Hope you enjoy! 🙂

      • — Jenn on October 30, 2023
      • Reply
  • So good. My new favorite way to prepare Brussels Sprouts. I just ate it by itself for dinner and had a second helping and decided to keep the fish I meant to eat with it for tomorrow, it was that good.

    • — Jane on March 30, 2023
    • Reply
  • I made this gratin for Christmas and I received so many compliments it was embarrassing. They were a HUGE hit!!! We will be enjoying these again and again. Thank you.

    • — Robby on December 27, 2022
    • Reply
  • This was a big hit at Christmas dinner. Everyone loved it and even my mother-in-law had seconds, though she normally hates brussel sprouts. The best part was how simple and easy it was to make.

    • — Ying on December 26, 2022
    • Reply
  • Will substituting whipping cream for heavy whipping cream make a difference?

    • — Mary on December 21, 2022
    • Reply
    • No, that’s perfectly fine. Enjoy!

      • — Jenn on December 21, 2022
      • Reply
  • soo good!

    • — sana shaikh on December 15, 2022
    • Reply
  • This was served for Thanksgiving at a friends house and we all loved it! I did not make it but definitely plan to. She added more butter and cheese. Not sure if the additions were necessary so will make as printed my first time.

    • — Amy Hensley on December 10, 2022
    • Reply
  • I made this for the first time for Thanksgiving. I fell asleep reviewing my meal (that’s what I do…) and decided this was absolutely the best thing I served—and it was ALL really good! In the morning one of my guests said she woke up thinking about how delicious this was and decided it was her favorite part of the meal! She is an avowed Brussels Sprouts hater—I had to talk her into trying it! I do wish there was a way to cut the calories. My mom used to sub evaporated milk for part of the cream in some recipes. Do you think that would work here?

    • — TMS on December 8, 2022
    • Reply
    • Glad that this was a hit with your guests! While I’ve never tried it, I do think you could get away with using evaporated milk for some of the cream. It won’t taste as rich, but it will still be good.

      • — Jenn on December 14, 2022
      • Reply
  • I made this for the Thanksgiving meal this year. Among all the Thanksgiving dishes, this one got the most praise! It’s easy to make once you have all the ingredients ready. What I love the most is that it can be made ahead of time, so it won’t fight for the oven space before a big holiday meal.

    • — Karen M on November 30, 2022
    • Reply
    • I made this tonight. It was delicious! I made it with gluten free bread which I chopped into bread crumbs and used cheddar cheese. We loved it! I make several of your recipes quite often and they are always a huge hit. Thank you!!!

      • — Susan on January 26, 2023
      • Reply
  • Super idea for a holiday dish. I made it exactly as written for the first time on Thanksgiving. Very easy to make, well-written/reliable recipe and quite tasty. I liked the gratin very much, but my family were not fans, quite honestly. I had half the dish left over at the end of the meal. My golden retriever and I will finish it. Maybe he likes it, because I didn’t tell him they were Brussels sprouts. Hahaha! Nevertheless, there are tons of great recipes on this site that my family all appreciate and rank highly, so I will keep at it.

    • — Laurie Head Atkinson on November 30, 2022
    • Reply
    • LOL – my kids won’t eat them either, but my labs will!

      • — Jenn on November 30, 2022
      • Reply
  • Can I use frozen Brussel sprouts ?

    • — Staci on November 30, 2022
    • Reply
    • Hi Staci, they won’t get crispy like fresh, but the topping will give the dish a crispy texture.

      • — Jenn on November 30, 2022
      • Reply
  • Hey Jen what is a good substitute for the gruyere cheese in this recipe? I prefer gruyere but it’s not always easy to find where I live.
    Thanks, Staci

    • — staci on November 29, 2022
    • Reply
    • Hi Staci, You can use Comte or Beaufort cheese. Cheddar would also work if it’s one that melts well (or you could eliminate the cheese). Please LMK how it comes out!

      • — Jenn on November 29, 2022
      • Reply
  • Fabulous. I should have made 2, everyone loved it, they were scraping the dish to get every last bit!

    • — Cheryl on November 21, 2022
    • Reply
  • Hi Jen
    Im interested in that what baking dish you used for the brussels sprouts recipe. Would you please tell me the brand? Thanks
    Donna

    • — Donna on November 12, 2022
    • Reply
    • Hi Donna, That’s a really old dish and I don’t remember where I got it — sorry!

      • — Jenn on November 15, 2022
      • Reply
  • OMG. This recipe is sooo good and straightforward. If you are wavering, try it. You will not be disappointed. I cooked this in my toaster oven and it was a breeze.

    • — Susan on September 3, 2022
    • Reply
  • Hi do you toast the bread prior to mixing with cheese, etc?

    • — Anastasia Pereskokova on April 14, 2022
    • Reply
    • Hi Anastasia, no, it’s not necessary to toast the bread crumbs. Hope you enjoy!

      • — Jenn on April 15, 2022
      • Reply

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