Cheesy Brussels Sprouts Gratin with Bacon

6 standard portions

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Ingredients

• 600 g Brussels Sprouts (trim the bottoms and remove outer leaves. Halve any large ones.)
• 50 g Butter
• 200 g Smoked Bacon Lardons
• 2 Garlic Cloves (peeled and chopped)
• 1 tsp Thyme Leaves (chopped (or use dried thyme))
• 50 g Plain Flour
• 700 ml Milk
• 2 tsp Dijon Mustard
• ¼ tsp Grated Nutmeg
• 200 g Cheddar (grated)
• ½ tsp Salt
• ¼ tsp Black Pepper
• 50 g Dried Breadcrumbs
• 3 tbsp Grated Parmesan
• 1 tsp Thyme Leaves (chopped)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180 fan/ Gas 6/ 400°F).
2. Bring a pan of salted water to a boil and cook the sprouts for 3 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water to retain colour, and set aside.
3. In a large heavy-based saucepan, melt the butter then fry the bacon, thyme leaves, and garlic for 2-3 minutes.
4. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Turn the heat up, whisk in the milk and continue to stir until the sauce thickens. It should coat the back of a wooden spoon.
6. Take the sauce off the heat and stir in the grated cheese, dijon mustard, grated nutmeg, and salt & pepper.
7. Mix in the cooked sprouts then pour the cheesy sprouts into a baking dish.
8. Mix together the breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan and thyme leaves and scatter over the top of the gratin. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden brown and the cheese sauce is bubbling.