Savory Baked Brie with Maple-Glazed Brussels Sprouts & Pancetta

Author Notes

It’s the holiday season, which means it’s time for all of the savory, warm, and bubbly cheese recipes. What’s better than a gooey cheese to heat you up during the colder winter months? My favorite cheese to warm in the oven is, hands down, French Brie or camembert. Both Brie and camembert are naturally soft cheeses, but once baked in the oven for about 12-15 minutes, their paste melts into liquid gold. In America, Brie wheels can be characterized by a mellow buttery flavor and typically larger size when compared to camembert. Camembert wheels are usually sold in a wooden container (which is actually designed to be heat-proof!) and the flavor is characterized as more robust and earthy. Typically, I like to bake my Brie with sweet pairings, like fruit preserves and honey—or even slow roasted grapes—but today we’re taking it in a savory direction. The bloomy rind (or outer layer) on both cheeses develop a rich and vegetal taste with the cheesy paste, which is sometimes reminiscent of cruciferous greens like broccoli and Brussels sprouts. Leaning into this quality, I decided to top the baked Brie with shaved Brussels sprouts sautéed in maple syrup. The Brussels add a pleasantly nutty and smoky quality, while the maple comes in with a bright, sugary contrast. To cover most of our basic flavor profiles (sweet, salty, bitter, tangy and umami), I also added crispy pancetta to tie into the salty and savory qualities, plus pomegranate seeds for a juicy tang. This recipe will be on repeat all winter long! —Marissa Mullen