Kale chips, kale salads, kale pesto, kale smoothies… I’m always trying to eat more of this nutrient dense leafy green. This creamy, cheesy gratin is a great way to eat a TON of kale. It makes for a decadent, show-stealing side dish.

The velvety rosemary infused garlic cream is great on its own so you could always make extra to spoon on top of chicken later in the week. When baked with the kale, it transforms the fibrous leaves into silky ribbons. Then there are tangy, salty bites of white cheddar on top- a delicious base for the crunchy garlicky panko topping.

This is comfort food to the max, reminiscent of mac and cheese- but healthier with all that kale, right?

Next time you see that mammoth bag of kale on sale- go for it! It will cook down dramatically when you take out all the water.

Ingredients:

Kale (ribs removed, torn into bite size pieces)

Heavy cream (enough to fill up at least halfway whatever dish you are using)

Onion or shallot (quartered)

Garlic (3 peeled whole cloves, 1 clove grated)

Cheese (slices, white cheddar or Gruyere)

Chili flakes (teaspoon)

Nutmeg (a heavy sprinkle)

Rosemary (fresh, 2 sprigs)

Panko (enough to cover kale)

Lemon zest (1 lemon)

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a small pot bring the onion, 3 garlic cloves, and heavy cream to a boil (with salt and pepper of course). Reduce heat immediately to a bubbling simmer, throw in the rosemary sprigs and let it cook for about 15 minutes until the onion and garlic are very soft.

While the cream is going, start another pan with some olive oil over medium heat. Add in your kale to cover the bottom, season with salt and pepper, and fry for a few minutes or until the kale is cooked and crispy in parts. Squish all the kale over to one side and add in another batch of kale. Repeat this process until all your kale is cooked. Add in olive oil and season as needed. Transfer to an ovenproof baking dish.

Alternatively, you could quickly boil all the kale at once then dry and squeeze out the excess water before adding it to your baking dish. I haven’t tried this yet, but I imagine it would make things a lot easier and much more time efficient.

Blend the cream until smooth using either an immersion stick blender or a traditional blender. Be sure to remove the rosemary sprigs and add in a generous sprinkle of nutmeg before blending. Pour over the kale.

Top kale with your choice of cheese. I will also tuck some slices of cheese under bits of kale for surprise cheesy pockets.

In a separate little bowl, mix panko, lemon zest, salt, pepper, grated garlic and chili flakes with a drizzle of olive oil. Sprinkle over kale. It should cover the kale completely but not be a thick layer.

Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until panko is toasted, cheese is gooey, and cream sauce is thick and bubbling. Enjoy!

Tips:

• Use more cream than you think you’ll need. You really can’t have too much cream for this dish, but too little and it will be unpleasantly dry and not at all luscious.
• Not a kale fan? Use any hearty leafy green. Swiss chard would be a wonderful substitute.
• Be sure to take out the rosemary sprigs. I am very nitpicky so I will make sure all the rosemary leaves that have fallen off are removed. Does this actually matter? I think if there are too many leaves then it can add an unpleasant bitter flavor, overwhelming the nutmeg. But it can be time-consuming… especially if all the leaves have fallen off. This would be a great time to use a cheese cloth/sachet for your herbs!
• Go for a block of cheese you can slice yourself rather than pre-grated cheese. The flavor is much better and the cheese isn’t as dried out. The idea is to have pieces of sharp, tangy, salty cheese; not a cohesive, melted cheese layer. This isn’t really a very “ooey-gooey” cheesy dish. If you are looking for something more along those lines, then go for an easy melting cheese like mozzarella, gouda, or fontina. In this case the shredded grated stuff will be fine.
• Cook time and temp: I’ve found that this will vary depending on your oven. Just keep an eye on it. This should take a minimum of 25 minutes so the cream can tenderize the kale and come together. It could take up to an hour. The panko should gently toast golden brown, so if it is darkening too fast then maybe lower the heat.
• Don’t skip the lemon zest in the panko topping! It is essential in brightening up a very rich dish.
• As always, adjust the flavors to your liking! This recipe isn’t spicy. The suggested teaspoon of chili flakes should give it just a touch of heat. It really just wakens up the other flavors. As for the garlic, when making this for a crowd I will just put 3 cloves. For myself, I like to put at least 5.