Recipe: Tasty Kale Gratin with Bacon

Kale Gratin with Bacon. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large frying pan on medium heat. Cook bacon for a few minutes or until starting to turn crispy. This kale gratin is slightly (and I do mean slightly) less filling and rich that the brussels gratin, so take that into account.

Kale: Older kale can be a bit tough, so I would recommend younger, smaller kale leaves in the recipe. Other greens: While I chose kale for the recipe, the dish is great for many types of greens. Chard, spinach, arugula, radish greens, beet greens, or any hardy greens you have on hand would work well. You can have Kale Gratin with Bacon using 10 ingredients and 6 steps. Here is how you cook it.

Ingredients of Kale Gratin with Bacon

1. Prepare 1 bunch of Kale (chopped).
2. It's 3 clove of Garlic (chopped).
3. It's 1/2 cup of Bread Crumbs.
4. It's 1/2 cup of Grated Parmisiano.
5. You need 1 cup of Heavy Cream.
6. It's 1 pinch of Black Pepper.
7. Prepare 1 pinch of Salt.
8. It's 3 tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
9. It's 1/4 tsp of Nutmeg (eyeball it).
10. You need 5 slice of Bacon (cooked and crumbled).

Radish substitution: Small red or white turnips (which are often found in the spring and fall. Keep a tablespoon of bacon grease to use later. Preheat the broiler to LOW but place the oven rack on the second shelf down from the heat source. The top of my Baked Kale Gratin gets a nice little crunch, cheese provides flavor and the cream gets a little soupy on the bottom.

Kale Gratin with Bacon step by step

1. Cook the bacon on a skillet; crumble bacon into pieces; then set aside. Keep a tablespoon of bacon grease to use later..
2. Preheat the broiler to LOW but place the oven rack on the second shelf down from the heat source..
3. Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a pot, add the kale and salt and cook for 5-6 minutes; drain and dry the greens..
4. Return the pot to the stove over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of bacon grease to saute the garlic. Add the cream and bacon pieces. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper, then reduce heat..
5. Cook the cream mixture to about 1/2 a cup. Add the cooked kale to the cream mixture; coat evenly. Transfer to a shallow casserole..
6. In a bowl, mix the bread crumbs, parmesan, salt and pepper together. Add it on top of the creamed kale. Place it in the oven on the second shelf under the broiler. Cook for 5 minutes. Enjoy..

In fact, the first time I made this dish was for Christmas. It was a recipe my sister had been wanting to try, so we gave it a whirl. Add wine and bring to a simmer. A crispy cornbread topping takes this indulgent gratin over the top. It's assembled and baked in just one pan and can be made ahead and baked just before serving.