Brussels Sprout Gratin

I am always looking for new recipes for brussels sprouts. I wanted to try out this creamy brussels sprout casserole because it sounded like a healthy and tasty side dish for any holiday meal. I found this recipe on the Eating Well website. This healthy version doesn't include any heavy cream or butter. Huge plus! This recipe has quite a few steps but its actually quite simple to make. The gratin was very tasty and pleased everyone in the family!

Recipe:

2 ½ pounds Brussels Sprouts, trimmed and halved (quartered if large)

2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon white or black pepper

2 ½ cups low-fat milk

1 ½ cups fresh whole-wheat breadcrumbs

1. Position racks in upper and lower third of oven; preheat to 425 degrees.
2. Toss brussels sprouts in a large bowl with 1 tablespoon oil until well coated. Divide between 2 baking sheets and spread in an even layer. Roast, stirring once and rotating the pans top to bottom about halfway through, until tender and beginning to brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until very soft and golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Add flour, salt and pepper; cook, stirring for 1 minute more. Add milk and continue to stir, scraping up any browned bits. Cook, stirring, until the sauce bubbles and thickens enough to coat the back of spoon, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. When the brussels sprouts are done, remove from the oven. Preheat the broiler.
5. Transfer half the brussels sprouts to a 2-quart, broiler-safe baking dish. Spread half the sauce over the brussels sprouts. Add the remaining brussels sprouts and top with the remaining sauce.
6. Combine breadcrumbs and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a small bowl.
7. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over the gratin. Place under the broiler and broil, watching closely, until the gratin is bubbling and beginning to brown on top, 1 to 5, depending on your broiler. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

A couple notes:

I simplified this recipe by placing the brussels sprouts on a baking sheet after I halved/quartered them. Then, I drizzled olive oil, salt and pepper over the brussels sprouts.

Instead of using 2 baking sheets, I only used 1 baking sheet and baked in the oven for 20 minutes.

Make sure to keep an eye on your gratin while its in the broiler. It only took about 2 minutes for mine to brown on top.

I used Organic Breadcrumbs from Trader Joe's. To make your own, please follow these directions: Trim crusts from whole-wheat bread. Tear bread into pieces and process in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. One slice of bread makes about ½ cup fresh breadcrumbs.

Enjoy!