Keto Creamed Brussels Sprouts Recipe

Brussels sprouts are a great side for keto dieters since a full cup only has about 14 grams of carbohydrates, which is less than half the amount found in potatoes and about ⅓ what you'd get from corn. Developer Kara Barrett keeps the dish keto-friendly by cooking the sprouts in butter and smothering them in a sauce made with heavy cream and cheese. While the sauce may look liquidy as it cooks, it will get thicker when it cools down. If you want to make a thicker sauce, though, there's no need to add flour or cornstarch — instead, all you need to do is stir in more shredded cheese.

While the sprouts and the sauce get plenty of flavor from the cheese — Barrett uses a combination of Parmesan and smoked gouda -– she also stirs in some Dijon mustard. As she explains, this condiment makes "a good addition that helps cut the richness of the dish." While Dijon mustard may be more expensive than the standard yellow kind, you might not want to substitute the one for the other since the vinegar in the latter variety could upset the flavor balance and make the cheese sauce too tangy.

The recipe starts with Brussels sprouts, of course, plus some sunflower oil, salt, Dijon mustard, and butter for cooking. To make the sauce, you'll also need Parmesan, smoked gouda, and heavy cream.

Clean, trim, and halve the Brussels sprouts.

In a bowl, toss the Brussels sprouts with sunflower oil, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, and salt until well coated.

Add sprouts cut side down to a cold cast iron skillet.

Heat the cold skillet over medium-high heat.

When the sprouts begin sizzling, add butter to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes.

While the sprouts cook, combine heavy cream, the remaining 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, shredded Parmesan, and smoked gouda in a mixing bowl.

After the sprouts have cooked for about 5 minutes, check the bottoms. When they are nicely seared, turn them over with tongs.

Add the cream mixture to the skillet so that the Brussels sprouts are coated in the sauce.

Cook for an additional 5–10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and the cheese has melted.

Season with additional salt, if needed, and serve warm. Garnish with more shredded Parmesan, if desired.

While you still need to clean the Brussels sprouts before you trim them and chop them in half, this can easily be done by rinsing them in cold water and then patting them dry. (Cold water is preferable to warm, as it won't wilt the delicate leaves.) Many recipes require that the Brussels spouts be blanched, but Barrett notes that there's no need to take this step here, and omitting it does cut down on the prep work.

Yet another way Barrett says she's chosen to make the dish simpler is by making the whole thing on the stovetop. That way, the vegetables and the sauce all cook in just one pan. Barrett likes to use a cast iron skillet and even points out one surprising benefit of this particular pan. As she tells us, "I camp, and this is a dish that ... I could prepare over coals."

As you read through this recipe, you may notice something that looks slightly unusual — Barrett does not preheat the pan before she puts the Brussels sprouts in, nor does she grease it. In fact, the sprouts go into the pan cold and cook all by themselves for a few minutes before she adds the butter. This method, she says, is called cold skillet cooking and is something she learned fairly recently.

Some cooks use a cold skillet to sear steak because they feel that this allows the meat to form a nice crust without the center becoming overdone. Barrett says she's found that it works well with Brussels sprouts, too, explaining that if it's done correctly, "It should result in a very good sear and even browning." As a bonus, it also makes the cooking process a little faster since you don't have to wait around for the pan to get hot before you can get things started.