These Creamy Brussels Sprouts with bacon are sautéed until golden brown, drowned in a rich and creamy cheese sauce, and served with crispy bacon to finish. They make a perfectly satisfying side dish to go with just about any meal.
We start by cooking bacon until crispy, then reserve some of the bacon fat to saute the Brussels sprouts. Yum! Then, we make a cheesy cream sauce for Brussels sprouts, season with garlic, nutmeg, salt and pepper and mix it all together with the crispy bacon bits.
Creamy Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
This recipe for creamy bacon Brussels sprouts is so good that even skeptics of these little green vegetables will fall in love. In fact, these are possibly the creamiest, cheesiest, most delicious Brussels sprouts you have ever tasted.
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There is so much color, flavor and tastiness in this side dish that it makes the perfect addition to any holiday menu. It’s also quick and easy enough to make on weeknights during the cold winter months when you’re craving something warm and cozy.
If you love roasted vegetables, be sure to try our Oven Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Brussel Sprout and Sweet Potatoes, and these Oven Roasted Asparagus.
Key Ingredients
- Bacon – use your favorite kind of bacon, or any leftover bacon bits that you might have.
- Brussels Sprouts – look for brussels sprouts that are bright green, firm and roughly the same size.
- Cream – we like to use heavy cream to make Creamed Brussels Sprouts, but you could also substitute half and half if you want to cut some calories.
- Mozzarella Cheese – you can use pre shredded or shred your own. White cheddar, Swiss or provolone would all taste good, too.
- Parmesan Cheese – use fresh grated Parmesan, or Gruyere.
- Seasoning – we season this side dish with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, nutmeg and garlic powder. Feel free to season to your own liking.
How to Make Creamy Brussels Sprouts
- Make the bacon bits. In a skillet over medium heat, add the 1/2″ bacon slices and cook until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove bacon bits and place on a paper towel lined plate to cool.
- Cook the brussels sprouts. Remove all of the bacon grease from the pan except 1 tablespoon. Heat skillet with reserved bacon grease over medium heat, then place Brussels sprouts flat side down. Salt to taste, then cook until golden brown, or about 5-8 minutes. Flip the Brussels sprouts over and brown on the other side for about 5 minutes more.
- Add ingredients to make the creamy sauce. Once browned on both sides, add the cream, pepper, red pepper, nutmeg, garlic powder, mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. Gently stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is creamy.
- Stir in bacon. Add the bacon and stir to combine.
- Serve immediately. Enjoy!
How to Make Creamy Baked Brussels Sprouts in the Oven
Baking this Brussels Sprouts recipe will give a little extra brown to the cheese, and it saves you from having to stand over the skillet the entire time. You’ll want to follow our recipe up until you flip the Brussels over. Once you have browned them on the first side:
- Transfer the Brussels sprouts to an oven safe casserole dish and add the cream, pepper, red pepper, nutmeg, garlic powder, mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. Stir well to combine.
- Put into a preheated 400 degree oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the center of the dish is bubbly and the Brussels sprouts are soft.
- Enjoy!
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Make sure and use Brussels sprouts that are all roughly the same size so that they cook evenly.
- To save time the day of, you can cut the Brussels sprouts up to 1 day in advance then store in an airtight container in the fridge.
- If you want to reduce the saturated fat a touch, try swapping half and half for the heavy cream.
- To make this vegetarian, skip the bacon bits and use olive oil or butter to cook the Brussels sprouts.
- A few delicious variations include adding mushrooms, shallots and/or sun dried tomatoes.
- You can try different types of cheese, including white cheddar, Swiss or provolone.
Storing and Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerator: place completely cooled Creamy Brussels Sprouts in an airtight container and store for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: place completely cooled Brussels into freezer bags, remove all of the air and store frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge before using.
- To reheat: you can reheat small portions in the microwave, in a saute pan over the stove top or in a 350 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes.
Creamy Brussels Sprouts Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounces bacon, cut into 1/2" slices
- 2 pounds Brussels sprouts, cut in 1/2
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- In a skillet over medium heat, add the 1/2" bacon slices and cook until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove bacon bits and place on a paper towel lined plate to cool. Remove all of the bacon grease from the pan except 1 tablespoon.
- Heat skillet with reserved bacon grease over medium heat, then place Brussels sprouts flat side down. Salt to taste, then cook until golden brown, or about 5-8 minutes. Flip the Brussels sprouts over and brown on the other side for about 5 minutes more.
- Once browned on both sides, add the cream, pepper, red pepper, nutmeg, garlic powder, mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. Gently stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is creamy.
- Add the bacon and stir to combine, then serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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Here are more of our favorite veggie side dishes:
- Oven-Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Roasted Parmesan Zucchini
- Homemade Creamed Corn
- Mashed Root Vegetables
- Oven-Roasted Broccoli
- More Sides
- More Winter Recipes
These Creamy Brussels Sprouts are so good, even skeptics will fall in love. They’re sautéed until golden brown, drowned in a rich and creamy cheese sauce and served with crispy bacon bits to finish.
Categories:
Christmas, Easy Weeknight Meals, Fall Recipes, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Sides, Thanksgiving, Veggies, Winter Recipes,
This is wonderful! So creamy and full of bacon, my kiddos won’t even know they are eating vegetables! Delicious!
I’m not a fan of Brussel sprouts but this recipe sounds delicious. I will give it a try. Love added bacon.