Brussel Sprouts Gratin with Bacon Breadcrumbs is my family’s favorite holiday side dish recipe! It is an impressive recipe that is still very easy to make!
Brussel Sprouts Gratin with Bacon Breadcrumbs has quickly become my new favorite holiday side dish recipe. These Maple Balsamic Brussel Sprouts used to be my go to recipe, and while they are still delicious (and my most popular recipe this time of the year!) I just love a good cheesy casserole.
If you don’t love brussel sprouts as much as I do, then a sure fire way to make sure you enjoy them is to smother them in a gruyere-gouda cheese sauce and then top them with homemade bacony breadcrumbs. I mean, come on. What’s not to like!?
Seriously, brussel sprouts are so so good and I can’t have a holiday meal without them! While this recipe has a few extra steps than a weeknight side dish has, none of the steps are complicated. If you can make a basic bechamel sauce, then you are good to go for this recipe.
This recipe can definitely be made ahead of time. Prepare the casserole according to the recipe, and then just cover and refrigerate until ready to bake. You can even make them the day before, which will save you some time if you are having a big holiday meal.
Brussel Sprout Gratin with Bacon Breadcrumbs
Ingredients
- 3 lbs fresh brussel sprouts steamed and then sliced in half with core cut off as well
- 1 lb bacon cooked
- 1 cup gruyere cheese shredded
- 1 cup gouda cheese shredded
- 2 cups milk
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp flour
- 4 slices stale sour dough bread crusts removed and cut into chunks
- 1 tsp salt plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp pepper plus more to taste
- a pinch nutmeg
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
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In a small sauce pan, add your butter and let melt over medium heat. Once melted, add the flour and whisk to combine. Let cook for 1 minute, or until starting to brown. Add milk and whisk. Cook over medium heat until milk starts to boil and thicken. Stir often to prevent mixture from burning. Mixture should be thick enough to coat a spoon.
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Once thickened, reduce heat to low. Add nutmeg, half the salt and half the pepper. Stir to combine. Turn heat off and add both cheeses. Whisk to combine. Set mixture aside.
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In the bowl of a blender of food processor, add your stale bread and 3/4 of the bacon. Pulse to combine, until you have small, chunky breadcrumb like pieces.
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In a large mixing bowl, add your steamed sprouts, remaining pieces of bacon (broken in small pieces), salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
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Add sprouts and bacon to a large casserole dish. Add cheese mixture and stir. Taste and add additional salt and pepper as desired. Top casserole dish with bacon breadcrumbs.
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Place in the oven and cook 30 minutes, or until cheese sauce is bubbling and breadcrumbs are golden brown. If they brown too quickly, cover with foil. Serve warm.
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