Use this Cheesy Brussels Sprouts recipe to make a delicious Thanksgiving side dish. Bake brussels sprouts in a creamy, garlicky cheese sauce and top with extra cheese.
Hands-off
Minimal prep
You’ll Learn: How to build deeper flavor with simple layering
Worth It: Hands-off cooking that fits your busiest days
Bonus: Air fryer option for faster cook time
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Delicious vegetable dish – Brussels sprouts are hated by many, but if you bake them in a cheesy garlic sauce and bake them with more Gruyere cheese, they are hard to resist! Plus it is a keto-friendly, low carb option!
- Great Thanksgiving side – I love this thanksgiving side dish because you can assemble it ahead of time and finish the baking just before your guests arrive. That way you can serve warm brussles sprouts and cheese alongside your other holiday favorites.
- Perfect for picky eaters – This cheesy and delicious brussels sprouts casserole will have even the pickiest eaters reaching for a green veggie. Whether you serve this for a holiday or easy weeknight dinner, this side dish will be a hit.
How to trim brussels sprouts
Trim just the very edge off of the stem of the brussels sprouts before cutting into quarters. If some of the outer leaves of the brussels sprouts look browned or wilted you can pull those off before cutting them.
Serving suggestions
This cheesy brussels sprouts recipe is ideal for Thanksgiving. It will taste fantastic alongside some turkey breast and mashed potatoes. For a whole turkey recipe, make this dry brine turkey.
The best part is this side is great all year long! I also like to serve brussels sprouts gratin with beef like Perfectly Grilled Steak or Air Fryer Flank Steak. Balsamic Grilled Chicken, Dutch Oven Whole Chicken, or Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin are great for chicken or pork options.
Ingredients
- Yellow onion – the onion provides the base flavor of your cheesy brussels sprouts
- Garlic – I love adding garlic in with the onion for additional flavor
- Oil – I used olive oil but you can use any oil you prefer
- Brussels sprouts – you can buy these whole or purchase them already quartered in 32 ounce bag to save time
- Salt and black pepper – a bit of salt and pepper enhances all the flavors in the dish
- Butter – the butter will be the base of your roux
- Flour – I used all purpose flour to bring the roux together
- Heavy cream – the cream provides the perfect texture for your roux to make the cheese sauce perfectly creamy
- Vegetable broth – the broth will thin out the sauce to the perfect consistency while also providing more flavor
- Shredded gruyere cheese – gruyere is my favorite cheese for this dish because it pairs so well with brussels sprouts and melts perfectly
Ingredient Substitutions
If you don’t like brussels sprouts, you can use broccoli or cauliflower instead. I recommend steaming either one of those slightly instead of sauteing. Bring a pot of water to boil and add your vegetables until fork tender. You could also roast them on a baking sheet instead. Then place them in the casserole with the cheese sauce.
To intensify the garlic and onion flavors you can add some onion powder and garlic powder to the cheese sauce. You can also add a little spice like paprika, chili powder or hot sauce.
You can also add bacon to this dish. Cook bacon slices in a saucepan first, remove and transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Then saute the onion and garlic in the bacon grease for added bacon flavor.
I like using gruyere cheese because it is what is typically used in an au gratin recipe, but you can use many other types of cheese. You can use a sharp cheddar cheese or mozzarella cheese instead. You can also sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top of another cheese to create a slightly crispy crust. Feel free to use pre-shredded cheese.
How to make
Step 1: trim brussels sprouts and dice onion
To begin, preheat oven to 425F. Trim the ends off the two pounds brussels sprouts and cut them into quarters or eigths depending on the size.
Then, dice the onion and mince the cloves of garlic.
Step 2: Saute Brussels sprouts
Add oil to a large saute pan and cook garlic and onions until they are soft and fragrant. Add the brussels sprouts to the pan and increase the heat to medium.
Next, saute the brussels sprouts for about 8 minutes and toss frequently. You want the sprouts to be slightly tender. Season them with 3/4 tsp of salt and pour into the baking dish.
Step 3: Prepare the gruyere cheese sauce
In the same large saute pan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until a paste forms. Then, slowly pour in the heavy cream stirring constantly to make a roux.
Then, mix in the vegetable broth and half of the gruyere cheese. Stir the mixture until the cheese is completely melted and mixed into the sauce. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.
Step 4: Bake brussles sprouts with cheese
Pour the warm cheese sauce over the brussels sprouts in the casserole dish. Top the whole thing with more gruyere cheese and place in the oven to bake.
Bake at 425F for 25 minutes and serve immediately.
Storage and reheating
Once fully cooled, store cheesy brussels sprouts in their original casserole dish with a cover or in an airtight container. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Reheat in the oven until warmed through or reheat individual portions in the microwave, air fryer or toaster oven.
Make this dish ahead of time
If you want to make this dish the day before thanksgiving, follow all of the step up until baking the dish. Then, cover the dish and place in the fridge until just before you are ready to eat. Follow baking instructions and add a few extra minutes to account for the fact that the dish was chilled.
If you’re looking for another delicious cheesy side dish, try these scalloped potatoes with cheese.
Check out these other Great Thanksgiving Recipes
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
Email Recipe for Later
Recipe
Cheesy Brussels Sprouts
Ingredients
- 1/2 a yellow onion
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 32 oz brussels sprouts
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1.5 tsp salt separated
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 tbsp flour
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup vegetable broth
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 cups shredded gruyere cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F and grease a casserole pan. Dice the yellow onion and mince the garlic cloves. Trim the ends off of brussels sprouts and cut into quarters or eighths depending on the size.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat and saute the diced onion and minced garlic until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the cut brussels sprouts to the pan and increase the heat to medium. Season the brussels sprouts with 3/4 tsp of salt and saute them for 8 minutes, tossing frequently.
- Pour this mixture into a casserole dish and return the pan to the heat. Melt butter in the pan and then mix flour into the melted butter until a paste remains. Slowly pour the heavy cream in the pot mixing constantly until a roux forms.
- Mix in the vegetable broth, 1 cup gruyere cheese, 3/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper and continue mixing until all the cheese is melted. Pour cheese sauce over the brussels sprouts in the casserole dish.
- Top with another cup of gruyere cheese and place in the oven to bake. Bake at 425F for 23-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown and bubbling
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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