Description
Brussels Sprouts au Gratin with Pancetta and Walnuts is a rich and creamy holiday side dish with layers of texture to spare.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lbs Brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced in half
- 2 tbsp garlic oil (may sub 2 tbsp olive oil + 2 cloves minced garlic)
- 1/2 cup half & half (I like this lactose-free version)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme, divided
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 cup Gruyère cheese, shredded
- 1 cup sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup parmesan, shredded
- 8 oz pancetta, diced
- 1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C).
- In a large cast-iron pan, toss the halved Brussels sprouts with garlic oil. Roast for 15-20 minutes, or until the brussels begin to brown lightly on top, then remove from oven.
- While the Brussels sprouts roast, cook the pancetta. Set a saute pan over medium heat then add the pancetta, stirring occasionally until crisp; about 4-6 minutes. With a slotted spoon to drain the excess fat, transfer pancetta to a side dish.
- In a medium prep bowl, whisk together the half & half, egg, Dijon mustard, 1 tsp of the divided thyme, sea salt, black pepper, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes. Once the Brussels sprouts finish their first turn in the oven, top with the sauce mixture then the reserved pancetta.
- Cover the roasted Brussels sprouts with Gruyère, white cheddar, and parmesan. Return to the oven for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese begins to turn golden brown.
- While the Brussels sprouts take their second turn in the oven, toast the nuts. Set a saute pan to medium heat on the stovetop (If you're using the same saute pan that you used for the pancetta, make sure to wipe it out really well because the nuts will toast best without excess oil). Add nuts and remaining 1/2 tsp thyme, stirring frequently with a spatula or wooden spoon as they begin to brown and intensify in smell. Once toasted, remove the nuts and thyme from the pan a side dish so that they do not continue to cook. The whole process should take about 5 minutes. Keep in mind that the nuts can go from a lovely golden brown to burnt very quickly, so you'll want to keep a close eye on them as they cook.
- Top the Brussels Sprouts au Gratin with the reserved toasted walnuts and thyme and serve warm.
Notes
Nutritional information on Whip & Wander is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 339
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 68 mg
- Fat: 27 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Carbohydrates: 11 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 16 g
- Cholesterol: 68 mg