Brussel Sprouts Gratin Slow Cooker

Recipe: Slow Cooker Cheesy Garlic Brussels Sprouts

Welcoming Brussels sprouts back to the dinner table is one of autumn's greatest pleasures. But once you've served them shredded into slaw or crisped on a baking sheet, it's time for something new. Tonight, serve tender slow-cooked Brussels sprouts dressed in a creamy garlic Parmesan sauce, all without lifting a finger.

(Image credit: Yossy Arefi)

The Slow Cooker Steams the Sprouts

Most Brussels sprout recipes tout crispy leaves and deeply charred bottoms, but slow cooker-softened sprouts take a different approach. If you're still reeling from the drab, tasteless spouts you had as a kid (sorry, Mom!), find comfort in knowing that these Brussels cook gently in the steam from the slow cooker, not a bath of boiling water. In two to three hours, the low and steady heat of the slow cooker softens the sprouts until tender.

Cream Cheese Is Key to a Velvety Sauce

These slow-cooked Brussels sprouts are deliciously tender and coated in a velvety garlic and Parmesan cream sauce. You'll cut half a block of cream cheese into cubes and toss with the halved sprouts and sliced garlic in a buttered slow cooker. The cream cheese acts as the base of the sauce, gradually melting as the sprouts cook. When they're tender, you'll shower the Brussels sprouts with Parmesan, a drizzle of heavy cream, and freshly grated nutmeg (the secret to all great white sauces).

So, when the oven is full and the stovetop is overloaded, the slow cooker is the answer to serving Brussels sprouts to a crowd (and keeping them warm until you come back for seconds!).

More Slow Cooker Sides

Tender sprouts in a cheesy garlic sauce with no hands-on cooking required.

wheat-free
fish-free
peanut-free
vegetarian
shellfish-free
pork-free
pescatarian
sugar-conscious
gluten-free
tree-nut-free
high-fiber
soy-free
egg-free
red-meat-free
alcohol-free

Per serving, based on

servings. (% daily value)

Calories 159
Fat 9.5 g (14.6%)
Saturated 5.5 g (27.4%)
Carbs 14.1 g (4.7%)
Fiber 5.4 g (21.8%)
Sugars 3.7 g
Protein 7.7 g (15.5%)
Sodium 279.8 mg (11.7%)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon
unsalted butter
2 1/2 pounds
Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
4 cloves
garlic, thinly sliced
4 ounces
cream cheese, cubed
1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving
3/4 cup
grated Parmesan cheese (1 1/2 ounces)
2 tablespoons
heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon
freshly grated nutmeg

Instructions

Coat the insert of a 3- to 5-quart slow cooker with the butter. Add the Brussels sprouts, garlic, cream cheese, salt, and pepper and toss to combine.
Cover and cook on the LOW setting until the Brussels sprouts are tender, 2 to 3 hours.
Turn the slow cooker off or to the keep warm setting. Stir in the Parmesan, cream, and nutmeg until the cheeses melt and the Brussels sprouts are coated in a creamy sauce. Taste and season with more pepper as needed.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Patty Catalano

Contributor

Patty is a freelance recipe developer who worked as Alton Brown's Research Coordinator & Podcast Producer and in the Oxmoor House test kitchen. She loves maple syrup, coffee and board games. Patty lives in Atlanta with her husband and two children.