Make a side the star of your Thanksgiving table with this Vegetarian Brussels Sprouts Casserole. Everyone will eat it, even non-Brussels sprouts fans.
For more ideas to make this the best holiday, check out all of our Thanksgiving posts.
Brussels sprouts have a poor reputation. It’s that one vegetable that you said you hated as a kid, even if you never had it. Somehow, universally, kids knew to say “eww” to Brussels sprout.
That’s a real shame, though, because Brussels sprouts are amazing. Well, if they’re cooked right. Some homes fall victim to boiled, non-seasoned Brussels sprouts and those, well, they’re not great. But this Brussels Sprouts Casserole is delicious. I promise you.
Serve it to your family this Thanksgiving and you won’t have any leftovers. So, you might want to make a double batch.
Casseroles as side dishes make your life so much easier on Thanksgiving. The majority of them are simple to assemble, so you can spend time with your family rather than with your oven.
For more, check out our full list of Thanksgiving Side Dish Casserole Ideas.
Vegetarian Brussels Sprouts Casserole Recipe
Affiliate links are included in this post and Drugstore Divas may make a small commission if you use them.
Vegetarian Brussels Sprouts Casserole Ingredients:
You can get the full list of ingredients with measurements in the printable recipe card below.
- Brussels sprouts – You can use frozen Brussels sprouts. Just make sure to defrost them completely before using them.
- White onion – This adds a mellow flavor to the casserole.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic adds more flavor than minced does.
- Seasoning – Salt, Pepper and Creole seasoning
- Butter – Unsalted butter is best because you can control the amount of salt you’re adding.
- Vegetable broth – If you’re not worried about keeping this vegetarian, you can use chicken broth.
- Heavy cream – If you can’t find heavy cream, you can make a cup of heavy cream by adding 1/4 cup of melted butter to 3/4 cup of half and half.
- Parmesan cheese – Grated parmesan cheese works best.
How To Make Vegetarian Brussels Sprouts Casserole:
Pre-heat the oven to 350 F.
Cut the stem off the Brussels sprouts, then cut them into quarters.
Quick aside if you’ve never cut Brussels sprouts before. Cut the stem off and that will create a flat surface on the bottom of the Brussels sprout. Stand it up on that surface. Cut it in half from the top to the bottom, then cut those halves in half from the top to the bottom.
Cutting a Brussels sprout this way will make uniformed pieces and will help the leaves stay on better. If you cut it down the center, you’re gonna end up with a bit of a mess.
You’ll lose some of the leaves when you’re cutting Brussels sprouts and that’s okay. Just discard those. But don’t worry about pulling any other ones off.
Bring about two inches of water to a boil.
Add in the cut Brussels sprouts.
Boil them for four minutes.
Drain them in a colander and then immediately pour cold water on top of them. This will shock them and will stop them from cooking. It’ll preserve their color and keep them crisper.
You can also throw a handful of ice cubes on top of them as well. (I do this while I’m prepping the rest of the casserole so I don’t have to keep the water running.)
Boiling them and then immediately showing them cold is called blanching. You can read more about it and why it’s done via that link.
Chop your onions and garlic.
Add the onions to a pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Cook the onions about three minutes.
Add the Brussels sprouts and cook for another three minutes.
Add the chopped garlic, half the salt, and the pepper. Stir and cook about a minute.
Add the butter and stir until the butter is melted.
Pour in the vegetable broth and heavy cream.
Add the Creole seasoning and the remaining salt. Stir and then let the ingredients simmer until most of the liquid has cooked out.
Transfer all of the ingredients into a small casserole pan.
We use a 1.5-quart casserole pan for this.
Top with an even layer of Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 15 minutes until the Parmesan cheese starts to brown.
Let it sit about 10 minutes before serving.
Vegetarian Brussels Sprouts Casserole: Frequently Asked Questions
Don’t skip the salt when you’re making Brussels sprouts. The salt helps to remove some of the bitterness that’s associated with the vegetable.
We’ve found that salting twice (but not over-salting) is the best way to get the best flavor out of Brussels sprouts. So follow this recipe as written. Don’t skip the salt and don’t add it all at once because that’s a little easier for you.
You absolutely can. Follow this recipe up until the step where you put the hot ingredients in a casserole pan. Do that, don’t do the cheese, and let the ingredients cool completely. Then, cover the casserole pan and put it in the oven.
The next day, you can just top it with cheese and pop it in the oven.
When the leftovers (if there are any) cool to room temperature, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for three to four days.
Vegetarian Brussels Sprouts Casserole
Make a side the star of your Thanksgiving table with this Vegetarian Brussels Sprouts Casserole.
Ingredients
- 1 pound Brussels sprouts
- 1 white onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 F.
- Cut the stem off the Brussels sprouts, then cut them into quarters.
- Bring about two inches of water to a boil. Add in the cut Brussels sprouts. Boil them for four mintues.
- Drain them in a colander and then immediately pour cold water on top of them. This will shock them and will stop them from cooking. It’ll preserve their color and keep them crisper.
- Chop your onions and garlic.
- Add the onions to a pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Cook the onions about three minutes.
- Add the Brussels sprouts and cook for another three minutes.
- Add the chopped garlic, half the salt, and the pepper. Stir and cook about a minute.
- Add the butter and stir until the butter is melted.
- Pour in the vegetable broth and heavy cream. Add the Creole seasoning and the remaining salt. Stir and then let the ingredients simmer until most of the liquid has cooked out.
- Transfer all of the ingredients into a small casserole pan.
- Top with an even layer of Parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 15 minutes until the Parmesan cheese starts to brown.
- Let it sit about 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 158Total Fat 12gSaturated Fat 7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 35mgSodium 671mgCarbohydrates 10gFiber 2gSugar 3gProtein 5g
Have you made this Vegetarian Brussels Sprouts Casserole recipe? Let us know what you thought in the comments.
amy liu dong
Tuesday 22nd of November 2022
Such an easy and delicious dish to make for everyone tonight. Seeing this makes me hungry!