What's For Dinner: Brussels Sprouts and Potato Gratin

Brussels sprouts, potatoes, spinach, a little bit of cream, and a whole lot of cheese make for a delicious holiday side dish. Long story short, you need this Brussels Sprouts & Potato Gratin in your life. 

Thanksgiving is two days away – and if you're on your game you've likely had your holiday menu planned for several weeks. If you're still scrounging around for menu inspiration, have I got a great side dish for you.

This delicious vegetarian side dish features thinly sliced Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced potato rounds, onions, leeks, and spinach. But what makes it ultra-delicious is the addition of cream (well, technically half-and-half), a dash of nutmeg for comforting fall flavor, and plenty of Gruyère cheese. And a layer of bread crumbs on top gives this dish just the right amount of crunch.

Long story short, if there's any room left on your holiday table, you should plan to make this dish to share. It reheats like a dream, so you can even make it in advance and just warm it right before serving. That's a winning dish in my book!

Brussels Sprouts and Potato Gratin
makes 8-10 servings

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
1 pound red potatoes, cut into 1/8" slices
1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut into 1/8" slices
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup thinly sliced leek (white parts only)
1 teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces spinach leaves, stems removed
freshly ground black pepper
pinch ground nutmeg
1/4 cup half-and-half
1 cup fresh whole-wheat bread crumbs (2 slices of toasted bread processed into coarse crumbs)
1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
Hungarian paprika

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with olive oil spray and set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the sliced potatoes and Brussels sprouts and cook until tender, 8-10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3. Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of butter in a large skillet. Add the onion, leek, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and sauté until softened, about 8 minutes.
4. Stir in the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Stir in the remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, several grinds of black pepper, a pinch of nutmeg, and the half-and-half. Stir to thoroughly combine and then carefully transfer to the prepped baking dish.
5. Top with an even layer of bread crumbs and grated cheese. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and just beginning to turn golden. Serve immediately.

(adapted from a recipe in the vegetarian cookbook The Heart of the Plate by Mollie Katzen)

What's For Lunch: Brussels Sprouts Salad with Toasted Pine Nuts and a Creamy Parmesan Dressing

I like a green salad just as much as any other person, but let's face it, lettuce can get a little boring. And as I've been cleaning up my post-holiday diet (how prosaic, I know), I've been leaning heavily on main entree salads.

One of my favorite ways to mix up that bowl of greens is to switch the snooze-worthy lettuce for something else. And lately, I've been reaching for Brussels sprouts. Now, I've proclaimed my love for Brussels sprouts before. I am particularly a fan of roasted Brussels sprouts. (Um, especially when cooked up in lots of butter.)

But for this recipe, all you've got to do is slice up those Brussels sprouts nice and thin. If you have a mandoline or food processor, this can be done quite quickly. Or you can be like me and (very!) carefully slice 'em up one by one with a sharp knife.

This salad keeps it simple with toasted pine nuts and a creamy Parmesan dressing. But feel free to fancy it up as much as you want!

Brussels Sprouts Salad with Toasted Pine Nuts and a Creamy Parmesan Dressing
makes 2-4 servings

2 tablespoons creamy Parmesan dressing
3 cups thinly-sliced Brussels sprouts
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

1. Place the creamy Parmesan dressing in the bottom of a medium bowl. Add the thinly-sliced Brussels sprouts and toss to combine.
2. Stir in the toasted pine nuts and serve.

What's On the Side: Raw Brussels Sprouts Salad

Our friends invited us over for a little get-together yesterday to celebrate St. Patrick's Day/the End of Winter. (Albeit, with all the snow still on the ground, and temperatures forecasted to be in the 20s this week, I'm not quite convinced much will change when the season turns to Spring on Wednesday.) Our friends supplied the corned beef and guests were tasked with bringing along a dish to share. (Which of course is right up my alley, since that means I can make a huge batch of ("blog-worthy") food and D won't complain about an endless amount of leftovers in the fridge.) In addition to baking up a batch of Guinness chocolate cupcakes (I couldn't help myself), I also put together a Brussels sprouts salad -- the perfect way to use up a 2-pound bag of Brussels sprouts in our fridge and, hey, it's green to boot, making it just right for a St. Patrick's Day celebration.

This salad comes together quite quickly, particularly if you use a food processor to shred the sprouts. You can easily customize this salad by using whatever hard cheese or nuts you have on hand. I jazzed up my version with dried cranberries and the addition of fresh herbs to the dressing. The salad is best served the day that you make it, but it is also good as leftovers when eaten within one or two days.

Brussels Sprouts Salad (printer-friendly version)

makes 10-12 servings

2 pounds Brussels sprouts
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated
1 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
9 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons apple cinder vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

1. Rinse and dry the Brussels sprouts. Tear off any wonky leaves and chop off the woody stems.
2. Use a food processor (I used a 2 mm slicing blade) to shred the Brussels sprouts. Alternately, you could use a mandoline or slice them (carefully!) with a sharp knife.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the walnuts and toast until fragrant, 5-8 minutes. Shake the skillet or stir the walnuts occasionally to prevent burning. Turn the walnuts out onto a cutting board. Let cool slightly and then roughly chop. Set aside.
4. In a jar, combine the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, rosemary, and thyme. Screw on the lid and shake until the ingredients are well-combined.
5. Add the shredded Brussels sprouts to a serving bowl. Add in the grated Parm, toasted walnuts, and dried cranberries. Pour in the dressing and toss to combine.
6. Serve immediately.

(adapted from this Gluten-Free Girl recipe via Shutterbean)

What's On the Side: Pan-Browned Brussels Sprouts with Garlic and Pine Nuts

I don't remember ever having Brussels sprouts during my childhood. The first time I tasted Brussels sprouts was at a restaurant -- and I hated them. They were soggy and bitter and tasted awful. Perhaps  my Brussels sprouts hate was in part aided by the fact that I'd been ingrained with the pop culture knowledge that Brussels sprouts = the worst.

Fast forward several years, and I've (gasp) come to really, really like Brussels sprouts. Of course, I think it helps to add a bit of butter and olive oil (and a generous shake of salt and pepper) to the mix. This recipe additionally features the flavors of garlic and toasted pine nuts -- and don't forget a generous helping of freshly-grated asiago cheese to finish off the dish. Go ahead, give this recipe a whirl -- maybe it'll convert you into a Brussels sprouts lover, too.

Pan-Browned Brussels Sprouts with Garlic and Pine Nuts (printer-friendly version)
makes two servings

12 small- to medium-size Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half, width-wise
3 large garlic cloves, cut into thin slices
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon pine nuts

1. Melt the butter in a large (preferably cast iron) skillet over medium heat. Stir in the olive oil.
2. Saute the sliced garlic until golden brown. Remove the garlic and place in a small bowl.
3. Reduce the heat to low and place the Brussels sprouts in the pan, cut-side down.
4. Sear for 15 minutes, or until golden brown in color.
5. Use tongs to remove the cooked Brussels sprouts and place them in a serving dish, cut-side up.
6. Add the cooked garlic slices and pine nuts back into the skillet. Toast the pine nuts until pale golden in color.
7. Sprinkle the garlic and pine nuts over the Brussels sprouts. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with grated asiago or Parmesan cheese.

 (adapted from this Epicurious recipe)