Double Kale Gratin.
Welcome to the world of kale gratin!
You might just die of deliciousness because this stuff is truly incredible.
Okay so remember last year when I made the brussels sprouts gratin? And it was utterly life changing? So rich and decadent but still… brussels?
WELL.
This might rival that.
Because here’s the thing. I love both of them equally. I don’t know how to choose. Both dishes are absolutely incredible. But they are similar enough that you don’t really need BOTH dishes on Thanksgiving. Especially if your family is like mine, and they may not even touch it. Because #change.
Anyway, before we get into that, and like, WHICH ONE DO YOU CHOOSE?!, let’s talk about the kale gratin!
Two kinds of kale. Tuscan and green curly kale. I love the mish mash of the two types. It’s not necessary – if you only have access to one, you can totally use it. But I love the two together. The tuscan is a bit more crisp. The curly green is a bit more chewy.
Now you know that I have a love affair with kale chips. I don’t care if they are soooo 2008, I love making them, we love eating it, and they happen in this house at least once a week. They are such a great way to get in some greens.
So that’s what was so appealing to me about this gratin. The bottom of the dish turns creamy, like greens cooked with cream and cheese. But the top pieces of kale sticking out get crispy, along with the cheese sprinkled on top, and it’s crunchy and flavorful and crisp and a texture lover’s dream.
That’s me!
I will tell you that you can even make this ahead of time! While it is amazing when it first comes out of the oven, I’ve made the entire thing ahead of time before (multiple times!) and if you reheat it in the oven, it still comes out great.
The flavor is SUPERB. Three kinds of cheese, two kinds of kale, cream, nutmeg, mustard and crunchy breadcrumbs on top. It’s almost like kale mac and cheese without noodles, if that could be a thing. Really, really incredible.
Now how to choose?! How do you know if you should make this one of the brussels?
This kale gratin is slightly (and I do mean slightly) less filling and rich that the brussels gratin, so take that into account. It’s also a bit easier – all you really do is tear kale leaves, toss them with cheese, cover them in cream and bake them into oblivion.
While in the oven, the cheese and the cream come together to create a sauce that you won’y be able to resist. Seriously. Just try!
I find that the kale gratin is more weeknight-friendly than the brussels gratin. It’s not quite as filling, so the dish tends to go quicker than the brussels. But they are both fantastic, and it’s really just a question of which veggie you like more.
Can’t I just have both? A meal of gratins please.
Double Kale Gratin
Double Kale Gratin
Ingredients
- 1 large bunch of curly green kale, leaves torn from stem
- 1 large bunch of tuscan (lacinato) kale, leaves torn from stem
- 1 shallot, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
- 4 ounces gruyere cheese, freshly grated
- 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
- 2 ounces parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- 3 tablespoons seasoned fine breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Tear the kale into pieces and place it in the baking dish. It may be overflowing, but that’s good! It will cook way down in the oven. Toss the shallot into the kale and season it all with the salt and pepper, tossing well.
- Toss the cheeses together in a bowl. Add almost all of (about three quarters) the cheese to the kale, tossing it well to combine.
- In a large bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the garlic, cream, mustard and nutmeg. Pour the cream mixture over top of the kale. Cover with the remaining cheese. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top.
- Bake the gratin for 45 minutes, until the top is golden and crisp and the edges are bubbly. Serve immediately!
- Note: this can be made ahead of time, but it is best to reheat right before serving!
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
It’s not the prettiest, but it is the most delish!
21 Comments on “Double Kale Gratin.”
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Wow this looks incredible!
I saw this and changed my dinner plans to make it tonight. SO GOOD will def make again.
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The only way I eat Kale…with tons of cheese. :)
Can I use frozen Kale? Have tons in freezer.
i fear if you use frozen kale, it will make the mixture too liquidy/watery! did you freeze it yourself? or is it already frozen? if it’s packaged and frozen, perhaps if you thaw it and really press out the moisture? but you probably won’t have the crisp bits on top!
I made this on Thanksgiving to rave reviews! Now I’m eating the leftovers with tjs chili onion crunch! Dying.
Also, it definitely felt like too much kale when I was preparing it, but it cooked down perfectly.
I made this for Thanksgiving and everyone loved it! It’s even great as leftovers. The kale has a nice bite and it’s fantastic with the creamy sauce. I would definitely make again.
Quick question that I almost hate to even ask: do you think this dish would work with half and half or whole milk instead of the heavy cream? Thanks in advance!
ahhh i so wish it would. technically, it WILL. but the issue is that the liquid won’t really “thicken” up. you will have a watery/milky base around the kale. i learned this the hard way when testing!! you can TRY with the half and half, but just be aware the base might be liquidy! i would def stay away from the whole milk. :)
Thanks so much for the heads up! I got a little creative and whisked a couple tablespoons of Wondra (super-fine flour) into an equal amount of half and half, added the rest of the liquid and then simmered the mixture on the stovetop for a few minutes until it thickened slightly. The end result was insanely good! Even my husband, who was definitely giving this dish the side-eye when he saw it come out of the oven, admitted it was addicting! Maybe the only way I’ll eat kale from here on out – haha! Thanks again, Jessica ❤
I used about 1+cup of cream plus an egg, then topped it up to 2 cups. It worked perfectly I thought. It didn’t harden up but was just really thick and creamy.
Made this tonight for our family of 5 and dreaming about it enough to write a review! Got some Tuscan kale from our weekly vegebox and had to google search high and low for a good gratin recipe. I used 2 bunches tuscan kale and added 6 potatoes as a base (preboiled and sliced). Heavy cream comes in a 330ml bottle here in Australia, and I didn’t have two, so I cracked an egg and topped up to 2 cups with whole milk. I substituted with 2 cups of a 3-cheese pizza mix available here, plus 1 cup Parmesan, half of which added on top with the breadcrumbs. Half the salt was just nice. Then we topped it with thickly sliced portabello mushrooms and fresh rosemary. The combination of flavours was just divine and I can’t really describe it but it is addictive.
AHHHmazing! Thank you!
Omg. I made this last night with dinner – delish. But today I cooked some pasta, reheated this in the microwave, and then put it on top and basically made kale gratin mac and cheese and it was SO GOOD!!!
This is my second time making this recipe, and it is absolutely delicious! My entire family enjoys it (even the 10 year old)!
OMG this is divine! The leftovers are maybe even better than the first serving because the cheese got a little extra crispy (yum!)
This is easy to put together and tastes so incredible.
OMG this is divine! The leftovers are maybe even better than the first serving because the cheese got a little extra crispy (yum!)
This is easy to put together and tastes so incredible.