Kale and Parmesan Casserole

Kale is really in season in the winter so this recipe is a little late but we really enjoyed it. It's not the healthiest preparation with the bacon, cream and the parmesan cheese but since kale is a super food, I let it slide. This would be a great side dish for a dinner party too since it's quite pretty and can be served in individual dishes. I got the recipe from the Eating Richly blog and there you can see a pic of it in the individual dishes. Hope you enjoy this!

Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 1 bunch of kale
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 2 strips of bacon
• 3/4 cup of heavy cream
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese

Prep

1. Preheat your oven to Broil.
2. Tear kale leaves away from the thick center stem and discard stems. Then tear the leaves into bite size pieces and rinse in a colander.
3. Add leaves to a large skillet with the 1/2 cup of water.

Cook

1. Cover your skillet with a lid (or with foil) and turn your burner to medium high. Heat the kale for 8 minutes, but don’t lift the lid because the steam is softening the kale!
2. While the kale cooks, cut your bacon into small pieces and peel and finely chop your garlic cloves.

3. Pour your kale into the colander to drain and return the pan to the stove, over medium heat.

4. Add the bacon to the pan and cook until it starts to crisp up.

5. Add your 1 TBSP of olive oil and garlic to the pan. (If your bacon gives off a lot of oil, no need to add the extra olive oil) Stir for two minutes then turn your burner to low and add the cream. Simmer on low for 8 minutes.

6. Add cooked kale to the pan and stir well. Sprinkle in the panko and cheese, stir again.

7. If you like, divide the mixture into individual ramekins and place the ramekins on a baking sheet. You could also transfer the kale to a casserole dish. I just put the same skillet into the oven to save a dish. Whatever dish you decides to use, place it under the broiler 3-5 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.