Brussels Sprout Gratin with Blue Cheese

Since my Sunday night meal, consisted primarily of healthy leftovers, I decided to splurge a little with the side dish.  I suppose when the side dish is a gratin, a dish known for it's cream and cheese, it's more than a small splurge.  Oh well, it was good and my tummy was happy.  I used this recipe for a Brussels sprout gratin with blue cheese and it came out better than expected.  I was concerned that the blue cheese would be a little strong for my taste, but the cream parmesan toned it down a bit.  The new flavor introduced by the mustard somehow brings your attention back to the Brussels sprouts and reminds you that you're not just eating a cheese dish.  

I bought enough Brussels sprouts to properly fit into the pan I was using, which I'm pretty sure was less than what the recipe calls for.  Because I was no longer using the same portions, I eyeballed the blue cheese and parmesan.  When it game time to pour the cream/milk/mustard mixture over the top, I mixed it in full amounts but then only poured til when I thought it looked right.  I'm pretty sure this is less than the recipe calls for even if I had taken everything down proportionately.  You may not need all the sauce it calls for - trust your gut.

This is a heavy dish, but when you're ready to indulge in the Wintertime, it's just right.  Go ahead and splurge - at this time of year you're covering up your belly with bulky sweaters anyway.