This Brussels Sprout Gratin is an absolutely delicious side dish for any holiday meal! They are roasted until tender, baked with a creamy and savory cheese sauce, and topped with crispy Parmesan breadcrumbs. It’s a recipe that even the pickiest of eaters will enjoy!
Brussels sprouts might not be everyone’s favorite vegetable, but hear me out on this one – this is one of those dishes that you will love, regardless of how you feel about those green little veggies. All the bitterness from the Brussels sprouts is gone, and instead, this recipe yields incredibly tender and sweet-tasting Brussels sprouts that are coated in a savory cheese sauce and crispy Parmesan breadcrumbs.
I served this recipe to my dad, who is notorious for hating Brussels sprouts, and he had two helpings. He loved it! The rest of my family raved about this dish, and there were zero leftovers by the end of the meal. It is that good!
This dish makes for a show-stopper of a holiday side dish, and I’m so certain your guests will love it. 🙂
Ingredients
- Brussels sprouts. Trimmed of the stems and sliced in half so they can get an even roast. These are roasted with olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
- Breadcrumb topping. The crispy breadcrumb topping is made with homemade breadcrumbs that I make with toasted sandwich bread blended into crumbs. You can learn how to make them here!
- Aromatics. For flavoring the sauce, you’ll need one large shallot or two smaller ones, along with fresh garlic cloves. Fresh rosemary is also used!
- Cheese. Gruyere cheese is used in the sauce for creaminess, and Parmigiano Reggiano is used both in the breadcrumb topping and for topping on the brussels sprouts when they bake with the sauce.
- Flour. Only a little is used to thicken the cheese sauce.
- Heavy cream and chicken stock. I use only a little heavy cream for the base of the sauce, and lighten the rest of the sauce with chicken stock.
How to Make It
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1
Pre-roast the Brussels sprouts. Toss the halved Brussels sprouts in olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Then roast uncovered for 25 minutes in the oven preheated at 425F.
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2
Make the breadcrumb topping. Combine all of the breadcrumb toppings together in a small bowl, mix thoroughly together then set aside for later.
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3
Saute the shallots and garlic. In a large saucepan, saute the mined shallot and garlic loves in melted butter for 2-3 minutes, or until soft.
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4
Whisk in the flour. Add the flour, whisk constantly and cook for 1-2 minutes with the shallots and garlic.
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5
Add the cream and chicken stock. Once the flour has cooked, add the cream, chicken stock, salt, black pepper, rosemary, and nutmeg. Cook for around 2 minutes or until the sauce has slightly thickened.
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6
Add the cheese. Once the sauce has thickened, add the shredded gruyere and stir in with the sauce until fully incorporated.
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7
Mix the Brussels sprouts with the cheese sauce. Toss the roasted brussels sprout with the cheese sauce, then transfer back to the baking dish.
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8
Add toppings, then bake. Top the cheesy Brussels sprouts with 1/3 cup Parmigiano Reggiano and the breadcrumbs. Bake uncovered at 425 for 18-20 minutes. Let it cool for several minutes before serving.
If you need prep help for the holidays, you can pre-roast the Brussels sprouts several days in advance of making this dish. I do recommend making the cheese sauce fresh and baking the dish the day the sauce is made for the best results.
Brussels Sprout Gratin
Video Tutorial
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Brussels sprouts, peeled, trimmed, and halved
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Breadcrumb Topping
- 1 cup homemade breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 Tablespoons melted salted butter, cooled
Cheese Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons salted butter
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup heavy creamy
- 1 1/4 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 oz freshly grated gruyere cheese
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°.
- Roast the Brussels sprouts: Add the trimmed and halved Brussels sprouts to a 9×13 baking dish, drizzle with 3 Tablespoons of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Toss until the Brussels sprouts are evenly coated in the oil and seasoning. Then bake uncovered in the oven for 25 minutes.
- Make the breadcrumb topping: in a medium-size bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, and 4 Tablespoons of melted and cooled butter. Set aside for later.
- Make the cheese sauce: In a large saucepan, melt 2 Tablespoons of butter. Then cook the minced shallot and garlic cloves for about 2 minutes. Add 2 Tablespoons of flour, and whisk constantly for about 1-2 minutes. Then add 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1 1/4 cup chicken stock, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and black pepper. Whisk and let the sauce cook for 2-3 minutes, or until it has slightly thickened. Add the shredded gruyere and whisk until fully incorporated.
- Add the Brussels Sprouts to the sauce: if the saucepan is large enough, add the roasted Brussels sprouts to the sauce and toss until evenly coated, then transfer the cheesy Brussels sprouts back to the baking dish. Or pour the cheese sauce over the roasted Brussels sprouts in the baking dish, and stir everything together until evenly coated.
- Add toppings and bake: Sprinkle 1/3 cup of Parmigiano-Reggiano over the top of the cheesy Brussels sprouts, then top with the breadcrumbs. Bake uncovered for 18-20 minutes. Let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!
This was fantastic. I used white cheddar because that’s what I had on hand. Absolutely delicious! We will be making it again for the holidays.
So wonderful to hear, Heather! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. And hope its just as delicious for the upcoming holidays! 🙂
These are absolutely delicious just finished making – YUM
So happy to hear it!! Thank you for sharing!
11/16/25 Made this dish…Delicious! A keeper for sure. I added dried oregano & basil to the breadcrumbs. Nice side dish for Thanksgiving. Well done blog post and photos. Thank you!
So happy to hear you enjoyed this, Carmen!! It really means so much. Glad you could add some oregano and dried basil to the breadcrumbs, I am sure that added some nice flavor! 🙂 Thank you so much!