Meals for Under £10: Brussels Sprouts & Comte Gratin

WE’VE tried to resist the lure of Christmas recipes until the big day is closer, but this one sounded so tasty, we just had to try it out right away.

One of its main ingredients is sprouts, so you’re getting one of your five a day by tucking into this.

It’s so good it might even convert sprouts-haters! It uses Comté cheese, which is similar to Gruyere.

You can buy it in Tesco, Waitrose and lots of independent sellers.

You’ll need

500g Brussels sprouts, trimmed

4 slices of pancetta, cut into 1cm pieces

1 clove garlic, crushed

Leaves from a few sprigs of thyme (fresh or dried)

100ml single cream

40g fresh breadcrumbs

25g butter, cold and shaved

100g Comté (aged 12 months), cut into small cubes

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6.

Steam or boil the sprouts until just tender (about 10-12 minutes). Drain well, then chop roughly.

Put the pancetta in a heavy pan over a medium heat and cook until the fat has melted and it starts to brown, then add the garlic and thyme. Cook for a further 30 seconds, then add the sprouts, stir to mix together and season with salt and pepper. Stir again and cook for a few minutes.

Butter a baking dish, add the sprouts, pancetta and two thirds of the Comté and spread the mixture out evenly in the dish. Pour over the cream and then sprinkle over the breadcrumbs, butter and remaining cubes of Comté.

Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the breadcrumbs and Comté are golden, and the cream is bubbling. Leave to sit for 5 minutes before serving.