Brussels Sprouts Gratin
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This comforting Brussels sprouts gratin with a crispy, cheesy topping is a holiday favorite—and the best part? You can make it ahead of time!
This Brussels sprouts gratin is a family favorite, and it’s a perfect holiday dish because you can make most of it ahead of time. Best of all, it’s super simple! Instead of fussing with a béchamel sauce like most gratins, this one uses heavy cream to keep things easy. If you’re prepping it in advance, just remember it’ll need 10 to 15 minutes in the oven before serving to warm through and crisp up that golden topping—so plan accordingly.
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Brussels Sprouts Gratin
This comforting Brussels sprouts gratin with a crispy, cheesy topping is a holiday favorite—and the best part? You can make it ahead of time!
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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).
- 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
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- 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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When you say “heavy cream”, what milk fat percentage are you referring to? I am in Canada and I think heavy cream is the same as whipping cream.
Hi Wendy, Heavy cream has 36% fat. Hope that helps and that you enjoy!
Can I use panko crumbs instead of bread?
Hi Andi, I’m sorry but I don’t think panko has enough heft for this dish — I worry that it will sink into the crevices and get absorbed by the cream.
Hi Jen
Do you think I could make this a day ahead and toast the bread separately? Concerned that the topping will become soggy in the fridge. Thanks
Hi Andrea, For best results, I’d bake the dish up until the point of adding the topping and then refrigerate overnight. When ready to serve, add the topping and finish cooking before serving. Hope that helps!
Thanks!
I am intrigued by this recipe and want to make it. I don’t have a ceramic baking dish (mine are all glass). My metal pan is old and tacky looking. Wondering if I could just brown the bread crumb topping in the oven? Thanks.
Ellen
Hi Ellen, I’d recommend sticking with metal if you don’t have ceramic. I changed the recipe recently because a few people had problems with the glass cracking after they poured the heavy cream into the dish and put it back in the oven. Sorry!
Wow! I tried this tonight as a test run for Thanksgiving. It was absolutely delicious. I followed the recipe exactly and all ingredient amounts were perfect. I can’t wait to make it again in a few weeks! Don’t hesitate on this one. Really, really good!!!
I’ve made this gratin many times, but the last time I did, the cold heavy cream caused my Pyrex casserole dish to fracture on the bottom, making a huge mess in the oven. I would recommend noting the heavy cream to be room temperature. Otherwise, everything is fabulous as usual!
Oh my gosh — I’m so sorry to hear that!! I actually just updated the recipe.
I made this dish and it was fantastic! Thank you, Jenn! Your website and cookbook have the BEST recipes! They are always delicious!
❤️
Hi, Since in Ontario, Canada they are recommending grocery shopping once a week I am trying to cook with what I have one hand. Do you think using frozen brussel sprouts would compromise the end result substantially?
Thanks,
Elizabeth
Sure, Elizabeth, they won’t get crispy like fresh ones, but the topping will give the dish a crispy texture. Hope you enjoy!
I made this dish for Christmas dinner. When Jenn says to pay attention to this dish when it’s under the broiler, she means it: the recipe advises to put it under for 3-5 minutes, but within 2 minutes the top was black and my kitchen was full of smoke.
Luckily, only the top was burnt and I had opted to make it ahead of time. After 30 minutes of meticulously scooping the blackened crust off the top, I was pleased to find the bottom in-tact and tasty. I remade half the crust (only the top layer was burnt), moved the oven rack down a notch, and tossed the dish back in for 1.5 minutes before it was done. If I ever make this again, I’ll set the broiler to Low instead of High.
Making this recipe as per instructions, I felt that there was too much crust. However, bear in mind that I was forced to eyeball how much crust to replace. This recipe was tasty, but I feel it could be improved by setting your broiler to low in favour of not going through what I did, hahaha.
The short version: tasty veg dish; a little too crusty on the outside; mind the instructions’ recommendations to watch your dish under the broiler while ignoring the time recommendation of 3-5 minutes–instead, check about every 30 seconds.
I’d like to make this but my other foods cook at 400 degrees, not 425. Could I cook it at 400? If so how long?
Or cook it at 425 initially and then lower to 400 when I add the cream? Then how long?
Thanks for your help!
Sure — it will take just a few extra minutes in the oven if you turn the temp down after you add the cream. Hope you enjoy!