Easy Brussels Sprouts Gratin

This Easy Brussels Sprouts Gratin has Swiss and Parmesan cheese, and it’s a perfect low-carb side dish for a special meal. And if you’re a fan of Brussels Sprouts I hope you make this cheesy gratin several times during the holidays.

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For years now I’ve been sharing healthy Thanksgiving options that are carb-conscious but still amazingly delicious for holiday food. And for sure this Easy Brussels Sprouts Gratin is one of my favorites every year for a Thanksgiving side dish that’s low-carb, Keto, and Gluten-Free!

So for today’s Friday Favorites post I’m reminding you about this favorite gratin recipe with Brussels Sprouts! These delicious Brussels Sprouts are definitely the siblings of several other easy vegetable gratin recipes I’ve made through the years, and all of these holiday gratin dishes are delicious!

I tested this out on my gorgeous niece Alyson who stopped by to pick up some soup, and she gave it an enthusiastic two thumbs up! And if you’re looking for a new way to cook Brussels Sprouts, please give this one a try.

What ingredients do you need?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

• Brussels Sprouts
• Olive Oil (affiliate link)
• Dried Thyme (affiliate link)
• Swiss cheese
• mayo
• lemon juice, I used my fresh-frozen lemon juice
• Dijon Mustard (affiliate link)
• black pepper
• Parmesan cheese

What is a Gratin?

A Gratin is a dish where food is topped with a browned crust that usually contains cheese, breadcrumbs, or butter. I’ve become a huge fan of cheesy gratin dishes like this, and don’t think any breadcrumbs are needed!

What makes the Brussels Sprouts Gratin easy for Thanksgiving?

This delicious dish of cheesy Brussels Sprouts is easy to put together, and it can be assembled earlier in the day and then put in the oven to finish cooking while you carve the turkey and make the gravy.

Do Brussels Sprouts smell bad when they’re cooking?

When they are boiled or cooked too long it’s true Brussels Sprouts can have kind of an unpleasant smell. But when they are quickly cooked by roasting or pan-frying they don’t smell bad at all.

Do you need Swiss Cheese for the Brussels Sprouts Gratin?

I love the melting properties and flavor of Swiss Cheese in this tasty dish. But if you don’t have Swiss or don’t like it, any white cheese that melts well will be fine.

How low in carbs is the Brussels Sprouts Gratin?

This tasty gratin recipe has about 8 net carbs per serving.

How to Make Easy Brussels Sprouts Gratin:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

1. Brussels Sprouts can be dirty, so I trim the stems, cut into halves (or quarters) and give them a good wash in the salad spinner. Be sure to spin really dry.
2. Put the sprouts into a small bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil, thyme, and some fresh-ground black pepper.
3. I like to grate my own Swiss cheese so I can get it really fine, and you don’t need more than a few ounces to make a cup of grated Swiss when it’s this finely grated.
4. Mix together the mayo, lemon juice, Dijon, and black pepper; then mix in the finely grated Swiss to make the gratin topping.
5. Mist or brush a large non-stick frying pan with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat.
6. When the pan is hot, add the Brussels Sprouts and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sprouts have turned bright green and are starting to brown. Here’s how my Brussels Sprouts looked after 6 minutes. They’re going to cook more in the oven so keep them pretty crisp for this initial cooking.
7. Put sprouts into an oven-proof gratin dish.
8. Spread the topping mixture over the sprouts using a rubber scraper.
9. Sprinkle the top with the coarsely-grated Parmesan.
10. Bake at 400F/200C for 20-25 minutes, depending on how done you like the cheese. As you can tell, I like it kind of well-done and I devoured about half of this for lunch immediately after I took these photos!

Want more ideas for Thanksgiving side dishes?

• Top Ten Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes
• 25 Thanksgiving Keto Vegetable Recipes
• Keto Brussels Sprouts Recipes 

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Yield: 4 servings

Easy Brussels Sprouts Gratin

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

This Easy Brussels Sprouts Gratin is perfect for Thanksgiving or any time you want a special side dish!

Ingredients

• 1 lb. fresh Brussels Sprouts, trimmed and cut into halves or quarters
• 1 T olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 cup finely grated Swiss cheese (not packed down)
• 6 T mayo (see notes)
• 1 T lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. Dijon (or a little more)
• fresh-ground black pepper to taste
• 2 T coarsely grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F/200C (unless you are preparing the dish ahead and plan to bake it later.)
2. Trim the stem ends from the brussels sprouts and cut each one into halves or quarters (depending on how big each one is.)
3. Put the cut Brussels Sprouts into a salad spinner or colander and wash well with cold water.  Spin dry very well (or let drain and blot dry with paper towels if you don’t have a salad spinner.)
4. Put dried Brussels Sprouts into a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil, dried thyme, and a little freshly ground black pepper.
5. Use a hand grater to finely grate the swiss cheese until you have about a cup (not packed).
6. Mix together the mayo, lemon juice (I used my fresh-frozen lemon juice), Dijon, and a few grinds of black pepper, then stir in the grated cheese to make the gratin topping.
7. Mist or brush a large non-stick frying pan with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat until it feels hot when you hold your hand there.
8.   Add the Brussels Sprouts and cook, stirring occasionally, until sprouts have turned bright green and started to brown slightly, about 6 minutes.  (Don’t overcook at this point; they will cook more in the oven.)
9. Put sprouts into a gratin dish and spread into a flat layer.
10. Put spoonfuls of the gratin topping in several spots over the top; then use a rubber scraper to spread the topping out into a thin layer.  (Don’t put it all in the middle and try to spread out; you’ll never get it spread out that much.)
11. Sprinkle the coarsely-grated Parmesan over the top.  (At this point the dish can be put in the refrigerator to be baked later.  I would let it come to room temperature before you bake it, and bake slightly longer at a slightly lower temperature to be sure the center gets hot before the cheese topping is done.)
12. Put the dish into the preheated oven and bake 20-25 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned and the mixture is heated through.
13. Serve hot.

Notes

You can use a combination of mayo and light mayo if you prefer.

Recipe created by Kalyn and inspired by several other easy vegetable gratin recipes I’ve made through the years.

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 327Total Fat 28gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 18gCholesterol 36mgSodium 237mgCarbohydrates 11gFiber 3gSugar 3gProtein 11g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

Low-Carb Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This Easy Brussels Sprouts Gratin recipe is great for low-carb or Keto eating plans, and those people will prefer full-fat dairy products. I would eat this  for any phase of the original South Beach Diet, but make this a “once-in-a-while treat” for a special occasion (like Thanksgiving!) South Beach would recommend using the light mayo (and low-fat cheese if you can find it). 

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Check out Brussels Sprouts or Side Dishes for more tasty recipes like this one! Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This easy gratin recipe with Brussels Sprouts was posted in 2013. It was featured for Friday Favorites in 2021 and was last updated with more information in 2024.

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