Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Blanch and prep
- Preheat oven to 400F. Bring a pot of boiling salted water and blanch the Brussels sprouts for 4 minutes, then drain well.
- Cook the chopped bacon until crisp. Remove and reserve 1 tablespoon drippings.
Make the creamy cheese sauce
- Melt the butter with the reserved bacon drippings in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and flour and cook for 1 minute.
- Whisk in the whole milk and heavy cream. Simmer until thickened, stirring often so the mixture stays smooth.
- Stir in 1 cup of Gruyere, the Parmesan, salt, and black pepper until smooth and fully melted.
Assemble and bake
- Fold the blanched Brussels sprouts and half the reserved bacon into the cheese sauce, then pour into a baking dish.
- Top with the remaining Gruyere, the remaining bacon, and the panko breadcrumbs. Arrange evenly so the topping browns in hotspots.
- Bake at 400F for 20-25 minutes, until bubbly and golden. Let it rest briefly so the filling sets before serving.
Notes
For the smoothest sauce, whisk the milk and cream in slowly and simmer until thickened before adding cheese. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container up to 3 days; reheat in a 350F oven until warmed through. Freezing is not recommended because the creamy dairy can break after thawing. For a lower-fat option, use half-and-half instead of whole milk and reduce the Gruyere to 1 cup while keeping the Parmesan.
