Brusells Gruyere

It's okay.  Really, it is.  You can call me  when you read this, but I love Brussel sprouts.  I love all veggies that are tiny replicas of things.  Brussel sprouts = tiny cabbages .... Broccoli = tiny trees, umm.... maybe that's all of them.  I love them though.  Even before the "veggie" healthy fad of subbing out cauliflower for potatoes, pasta, and many things gluten, I did this because I LOVE them, and I don't really like pasta or potatoes.

Ok, you've had your laugh.  I get it, but think about it before you run off, don't you ever wonder how to get kids to eat their veggies?  Isn't this a pretty workable idea?  Yeah, I'm waiting.  See, not so bad now.  Let's start making them some creamy, yummy veggies.

Let's gather up the ingredients:

·    2 pounds brussels sprouts

·    3 large shallots, trimmed and thinly sliced

·    4-6 cloves garlic, minced

·    4 tbsp butter, divided

·    1/4 cup flour

·    3/4 cup chicken broth

·    1½ cups milk

·    8 ounces gruyere cheese shredded

·    salt & pepper to taste

bacon or bacon bits

 

Let's jump right in.  You can make this in a large (2 quart) cast iron skillet, or using a few pans and a casserole dish.  Whatever you want.  This is YOUR adventure.

Clean and trim your Brussel sprouts.  Slice them up into bite-size pieces or quarters.  Pop them into a pot of boiling water and blanch them for 3 -5 minutes until they become a vibrant green.  Drain, plop into an ice bath to stop the cooking and set them aside.

Aren't they a pretty green?

Now we are going to make the creamy, cheesy sauce.  We are going to make a bechamel sauce.  Ooh, la la, fancy.  It's just a white sauce.  We are going to start with some savory ingredients, so add your shallots to half of the butter and saute until they are golden and soft.  Add your garlic and cook for about another minute.  This gets all that deep flavor ready for the sauce, which you make right in the same pan.

Now add the rest of the butter and your flour and stir, stir, stir.  We are cooking a roux.  Yes, another fancy word, but it's just a super magic flavor paste.  The darker this roux gets the richer the flavor.  Be careful, and don't burn it.  You do want a golden color at least.  That way the flour is cooked.

While this is cooking (over a low heat, of course, or... shhh... secret here, you can put it in the oven if you keep an eye on it and just let it get a rich golden color) grate up some cheese.  Or, if you prefer you can buy it already grated.  I haven't seen gruyere that way, but you can use any melty cheese that's grated if you want.  

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When your roux is cooked, whisk in your liquid.  Keep whisking until it is smooth, creamy and starts to thicken up.  Remember that you will still have lumps from the garlic and shallots.  When it's nice and creamy add half of the cheese and stir until melted.  

Season with salt and pepper to taste at this point.  Remember, though, that some cheeses are a little salty and will impart that as they cook.  You can't take salt away later, so season it to your taste on the lite side.  You can add more salt later.

Now add your Brussel sprouts.  Stir, but do it gently.

Top with the remaining cheese, a little more cracked pepper, and your bacon or bacon bits.  Pop into a 400-degree oven for 30 minutes.

When the timer goes off, pull it out and let it rest for a little bit to thicken up and cool off.  Molten cheese in your mouth is hazardous to your health!