This Baked Kale Gratin is delicious served as a main dish, or as a side dish for holiday entertaining. The bacon and sausage is optional, if you want to make this dish vegetarian.
Ingredients
10oz.curly kale
6slicesbacon, chopped
3 5″sausage links, or precooked sausage of your choice, cut into one-half-inch chunks
3Tbsp.butter
1/4cupshallots, finely chopped
1yellow bell pepper, diced
1red bell pepper, diced
1Granny Smith apple, diced (skin on)
1/2tsp.red pepper flakes
3Tbsp.flour
2 3/4cupshalf and half, or whole milk
1 1/4cupsParmesan, grated, divided
2cupscroutons, I used Pumpkin Croutons from Trader Joe’s or bread crumbs
Instructions
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Steam the kale in a covered large dutch oven or frying pan with 1/2 inch of boiling water for 7 minutes. Remove kale; drain.
Cook the bacon and sausage in the butter in an large saute pan for 5 minutes until crisp; remove the bacon and sausage, drain, and set aside.
In the same pan, melt the butter and sauté the shallots, peppers, and apple for 6 minutes until golden. Whisk in the flour and stir for 1 minute.
Add the half-and-half or milk and whisk; bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low, cooking for another 3 minutes.
Stir in the 1 cup of Parmesan cheese; add in the kale and bacon. Mix together. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.
Sprinkle with croutons {or bread crumbs} and bake for 30 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.