Brussels Sprouts Casserole

Ingredients

• Bacon – We use regular cut bacon, if all you have is thin or thick cut you will need to adjust the cooking time when crisping it up. Use kitchen shears to cut the bacon into roughly ½ inch pieces for quick prep work.
• Butter – Regular salted butter or unsalted will work.
• Brussels Sprouts – Use fresh Brussel sprouts, frozen sprouts will give off too much liquid and the casserole will be watery.
• Seasoning – Salt (we use kosher salt), onion powder, garlic powder and fresh ground black pepper add plenty of flavor without taking over.
• Broth – We use chicken broth, but vegetable broth will work well too.
• Flour – Use all-purpose flour
• Milk – Whole milk is best but reduced fat milk will also work
• Cheese – We like cheddar cheese (medium cheddar) for this baked Brussel sprouts casserole, however others like white cheddar and Monterey jack will work too.

How to make our brussels sprouts casserole

Preheat oven 350°F

Add the bacon to a large, deep, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook for 10 minutes or until crispy, stirring frequently. The bacon will take a little time to get going, but once it starts browning it will crisp up quick. Make sure you stick around and stir frequently.

Take the skillet off the heat. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, set on a plate lined with paper towel and reserve for later.

Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings from the skillet (do not wipe). Place it back over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter.

When the butter is melted and foamy add the brussels sprouts, salt, onion powder, garlic powder and black pepper. Stir well to distribute the seasonings. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the chicken broth, cover, and cook for 2 minutes to steam the brussels sprouts so they start to soften, stir occasionally.

Uncover the pan and cook them for another 2-3 minutes until the liquid cooks out, they are just tender and golden in spots, stir occasionally.

Take the skillet off the heat. Remove the brussels sprouts and place them in a casserole dish (about 9-10 inches – 1 quart).

Place the pan back over medium heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. When it melts add the flour. Stir well to combine. Cook the flour for 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring almost constantly.

Add the milk and stir until smooth. When the milk starts to simmer (about 1-1½ minutes), remove the pan from the heat and let the milk cool 1-2 minutes so that it is still hot but no longer simmering.

Add the shredded cheese to the milk and stir until it is melted and incorporated into the sauce.

Add the cheese sauce to the brussels sprouts and stir to combine. Arrange the reserved crispy bacon on top.

Bake the brussels sprouts casserole for 25-30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly around the edges.

Allow the baked cheesy Brussels sprouts casserole to rest for 15 minutes before serving so it gets a chance to set. Then serve and enjoy!

Recipe tips

• It is best to use a shredder and hand shred the cheese. Pre-shredded packaged cheese contains cellulose and sometimes potato starch is added in to prevent caking. The cheese will melt better when you shred it yourself.
• Do not overheat the milk and never leave it unattended on the stovetop. Milk will boil over very quickly so keep an eye on it.
• Place the casserole dish on a baking sheet just in case it bubbles over it does not make a mess out of your oven.
• Cut the brussels sprouts the same size so that they cook at same rate. Cut the smaller ones in half and larger sprouts into quarters.

You may also like these holiday side dishes:

• Creamed Spinach
• Mushroom Rice Pilaf
• Green Bean Casserole
• Loaded Sweet Potatoes
• Sausage Stuffing
• Garlic Parsley Potatoes