Cheesy, salty, earthy Brussels sprouts gratin combines all of these satisfying flavours into one decadent side dish equally appropriate for a family dinner or a holiday party. Keeping such an indulgence locked away in casserole form felt unnecessarily limiting to us, so we devised our own take on the dish atop a pizza crust. Our pizza version swaps the bread crumb topping for a dough base and uses three kinds of cheese instead of one.
Traditionally made with cream and a single cheese, then topped with bread crumbs, almost anything can be gratinated. Potatoes are the obvious choice, but they’re far from the only option. One of our favourite things to make au gratin is Brussels sprouts. Their nutty, slightly bitter flavor makes them a delicious complement to the richness of full-fat dairy and bread crumbs.
And Brussels sprouts on pizza are always delightful. By combining two things we love — cheesy bakes and pizza — we came up with something great. On a base of crème fraîche (standing in for the cream), we put strips of bacon, three kinds of cheese (crystalline Gruyère, milky fresh mozzarella, and sharp cheddar) and, of course, Brussels sprouts. Cut thin, tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper, the vegetable goes into the oven raw and gets delightfully charred as it roasts.
For more Brussels sprouts ideas, check out Martin Nordin’s Jerusalem Artichoke and Brussels Sprout Pizza and our Brussels Sprout & Apple-Bacon Jam Pizza recipes.
