Cheesy Brussels Sprouts Bread Pudding Recipe (2024)

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Unlike many of my friends, I didn’t grow up eating mushy boiled brussels sprouts. In fact, I didn’t officially meet brussels sprouts until my twenties, and then it was love at first bite.The year was 2003, and my husband and I had just moved to London, into a small apartment right above Portobello Road Market in Notting Hill. Several days a week, the streets below would blossom with fruit and vegetable stalls, their makeshift tents and barrels of delicious treasures spilling out onto the road. Our first year there was also our first time living in the Northern Hemisphere, and every season bought new surprises. For our first Christmas, we hosted an “orphan’s lunch” featuring a motley crew of expats and displaced souls looking for that feeling of family far away from home. My husband roasted an unfamiliar bird (it may have been pheasant), and we dined on celery root soup and roasted brussels sprouts. From that moment on, and for every ensuing Christmas we spent in London, I vowed that brussels sprouts would always be on my holiday menu.Our brussels-sprouts-for-Christmas pledge hit a snag when we returned home to Australia to realize that December (our summer) was not the season for brussels sprouts down under. It was back to seafood lunches, cold ham, and salads for the holidays. And while we could find cold-storage brussels sprouts at larger supermarkets, it never felt quite right tucking into a plate of hot roasted sprouts while sweat collected on our brows.When we moved to New York, there was great comfort in being reunited with the holiday food we fell in love with years earlier. It was also a relief to be able to turn on the oven to prepare our Christmas feast. This Cheesy Brussels Sprouts Bread Pudding is one of the crowd-pleasing mains we consistently serve during the holidays. I started making it a few years ago as a hybrid recipe, inspired by the bread puddings we ate for dessert in Australia and the Thanksgiving stuffing that is served here in America. You can use any bread for this pudding, but I do adore the airiness of brioche.The best thing about this dish is that you can effortlessly prep ahead. I always put it together the night before, leave it in the fridge overnight, and then bake it the next day. There is definitely a skill in emerging from the holidays unscathed, and this recipe is a great one to have up your sleeve to give yourself a break when you need it most.

ByHetty McKinnon

Updated on July 20, 2023

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Cheesy Brussels Sprouts Bread Pudding Recipe (1)

Active Time:

20 mins

Total Time:

1 hr

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 2 large shallots, finely sliced

  • 12 ounces brussels sprouts, trimmed and thinly sliced (about 4 cups)

  • 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

  • 1 teaspoon black pepper, divided

  • 8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced

  • 1/4 cup salted butter, divided

  • 10 large fresh sage leaves, finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)

  • 5 large eggs

  • 3 cups whole milk

  • 1 (14-ounce) loaf brioche bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

  • 4 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded (about 1 1/4 cups)

  • 5 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1 1/2 cups)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Add shallots; cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots have softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add brussels sprouts and garlic; season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring often, until sprouts have softened, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and 1 tablespoon butter. Cook, stirring often, until mushrooms are softened and slightly caramelized, about 4 minutes. Add sage, and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat, and let cool slightly, about 15 minutes.

  2. Beat eggs and milk in a medium bowl; season with remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and remaining 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Cut remaining 3 tablespoons butter into cubes. Add cubed butter, brioche cubes, Gruyère, and Parmesan to brussels sprouts mixture in skillet; gently toss to combine. Pour egg mixture brioche mixture; let stand 15 minutes to allow bread to absorb egg mixture. (At this point, you can place it in the fridge for several hours or overnight. When ready to cook, take it out of the fridge, and let it come to room temperature before baking.)

  3. Bake in preheated oven until golden and center is set, 40 to 45 minutes. Serve hot or warm.

Cheesy Brussels Sprouts Bread Pudding Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you make Brussels sprouts not mushy? ›

The easiest and best way I know is to roast at high temperature. Trim the woody ends off the sprouts, and if they're large, cut in half. Toss in a bowl with salt, pepper, olive oil. Spread out on a sheet pan and put in a 500°F oven for 20 minutes, reaching in with a spoon or spatula to turn them over at least once.

Do you need to blanch brussel sprouts before baking? ›

Like all cabbages, Brussels are unavoidably fibrous and dense. You must overcome this by either cooking them in salty water until fork tender (blanching), or by roasting at a high (over 425F) temperature for upwards of 20 minutes. To guarantee great texture, do both!

Why are my brussel sprouts soggy in the oven? ›

Not using enough oil.

The other secret to ridiculously crispy Brussels sprouts is tossing them in plenty of oil. We like to use olive oil, but plain vegetable oil is great too. If the sprouts are well-coated, they'll caramelize and char instead of simply softening in the oven.

Why do brussel sprouts make me so full? ›

Vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower are high in sulfur and can cause bloating and gas.

What takes the bitterness out of brussel sprouts? ›

A splash of lemon juice, or even apple cider vinegar, works wonders on bitter sprouts. Another key ingredient is fat, which helps Brussels sprouts to crisp up. This is why it's so popular to render bacon fat and cook Brussels sprouts in it, then add the bacon bits back in at the end.

How long should I soak Brussels sprouts? ›

Contributed by Whole Foods Market, Inc. To prepare, soak Brussels sprouts in a bowl of cold, salted water for 20 minutes.

Should you boil Brussels sprouts before baking? ›

Unlike other vegetables, Brussels sprouts can be parboiled (even a day ahead) to reduce the roasting time without hurting their texture. That means the sprouts can be popped in the oven while the meat is resting before carving. Of course, if the main course is grilled or pan-cooked, the oven will be free for roasting.

Why do you soak brussel sprouts before cooking? ›

The soak time tenderizes the sprouts so the middles are softer. Don't worry, they won't be soggy! I would never do that to you. If, like me, you don't mind some chew to your sprouts, you don't need to soak the Brussels sprouts prior to cooking.

What happens if you don t blanch brussel sprouts before freezing? ›

Can you freeze raw Brussels sprouts without blanching? You can you freeze uncooked Brussels sprouts, but you'll need to be aware that they may be a little softer than if you blanched them (so keep an eye on the cooking time). Plus, they won't keep in the freezer for as long.

Why are my brussel sprouts not getting crispy in the oven? ›

Why Are My Brussel Sprouts Not Crispy? Spread them out into a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet to avoid overcrowding. If they're too close together, they'll steam instead of roast which stops the crisping process.

Why won't my Brussels sprouts get crispy? ›

Check the brussels sprouts about halfway through and add more olive oil as needed. If you don't hear them crisping up in the oven, add a little more oil and roast them for a few more minutes until your desire crispiness is achieved!

Why do brussel sprouts smell bad when cooking? ›

Yes, according to the Los Angeles Times, Brussels sprouts inherited another gene that causes them to stink up your kitchen when you cook them. When you cook Brussels sprouts they give off a gas: hydrogen sulfide. And if you are the least bit sensitive to smells, it will make you want to hurl.

What is one major side effect of eating Brussels sprouts? ›

Like other cruciferous veggies, Brussels sprouts have a type of carbohydrate that your body can't easily break down. This can cause you to have belly pain, gas, and either diarrhea or constipation.

When should you not eat brussel sprouts? ›

Throw out fresh brussel sprouts that have a foul odor, yellow or wilted leaves, a mushy or slimy texture, or dark spots. Use fresh brussel sprouts within 1–2 weeks of getting them. Store the brussel sprouts in a plastic bag inside your fridge, and wash them before cooking them.

How many times a week should you eat brussel sprouts? ›

Adding even just one or two servings of Brussels sprouts to your diet a few times a week can help you meet your vitamin C needs. Brussels sprouts are high in vitamin C, an antioxidant that's important for immune health, iron absorption, collagen production, and the growth and repair of tissues.

How to keep Brussels sprouts crispy? ›

The crispy exterior, however, is achieved by preheating the sheet pan itself in a 450° oven. You're essentially treating the baking sheet like a sauté pan, searing an entire side of the brussels sprouts. Without preheating the pan, they'd overcook before they got to the ideal crispy state.

How do you keep sprouts moist? ›

Rinse a couple of times a day to keep the seeds/sprouts moist. This also flushes away carbon dioxide and metabolic wastes that could cause spoiling. Use cool water when rinsing to ventilate and cool the sprouts to prevent overheating. Sprouts generate warmth as they grow.

Why do you soak Brussels sprouts before cooking? ›

The soak time tenderizes the sprouts so the middles are softer. Don't worry, they won't be soggy! I would never do that to you. If, like me, you don't mind some chew to your sprouts, you don't need to soak the Brussels sprouts prior to cooking.

Why are my sprouts soggy? ›

The answer is this: You need to spend more time DRAINING after you Rinse your sprouts. If you read this page you will know everything you need to know, but I'll give you the basics here. After Rinsing you MUST get as much water out of your sprouter as possible!

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