If people weren’t so freaking afraid of kale, steakhouse menus would serve you sides of creamed kale instead of creamed spinach. This kale recipe pairs with a juicy piece of red meat like jelly goes with peanut butter, champagne washes down a spoonful or caviar, or my cooking greatly improves when my husband does the dishes.
Not to worry of course, if you are a vegetarian or already a kale lover this dish will please you too. As a recipe it takes a bit of time but it is easily reheated or kept in a low oven until you are ready and I bet it freezes well.
Creamed Kale Recipe
(serves 4)
Preheat oven to 350F. Chop kale roughly. In a large saucepan with high sides melt one tablespoon of the butter over medium heat. Add as much kale as will fit in the saucepan and a pinch of salt. Wilt the kale, stirring regularly until you can add more kale, continue until you can add all the kale at once. Add another pinch of salt and the remaining sugar. Continue cooking, stirring regularly for another 15 minutes.
Meanwhile in a second, oven-proof, sauce pan melt the second tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Whisk in the tablespoon of flour and cook, whisking regularly for 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring regularly for 10 minutes. Slowly stir in three quarters of the cheese. Once melted and uniform stir in cooked kale and some freshly ground pepper. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and transfer to the oven. Cook for 15 minutes. Serve hot.
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
I can’t wait to try this. Made kale last week with just a bit of lemon and garlic and loved it, this sounds 10 times better!
This looks great. Will definitely give it a go! I’m always looking for more kale recipes since I like kale but my husband doesn’t so my challenge is to get him to like it. This one might just do the trick!
Amanda – simple is also very delicious. It depends what you are in the mood for!
Erika – Have you tried Kale Chips?
Thanks for posting this, it looks delicious! I’m going to make it to go with dinner tomorrow–we have more kale than I ever thought possible!
@Lesley, I feel your pain. Have you tried Kale chips yet?
Gonna make this for dinner tonight! BTW, I tried making Kale chips once and either I didn’t do it right or it’s not for us…but willing to try again! We love growing kale (among many other veggies).
Good luck Beth! Kale Chips aren’t for everyone I am sure. Were they crispy?
Hi Katrina
Do you have any idea how many pounds of kale I need to buy to make 12 cups.
Sorry Jackie, I am not sure off the top of my head, just eyeball the bunches and remember that you need to remove the stems. That said, it doesn’t need to be exact.
This worked really well with mixed greens – chard, beetroot tops, and kale. (And, um, it’s possible that I added chorizo.) Can’t wait to use the leftovers for poached eggs tomorrow.
Chorizo would be a great addition!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was great – but I omitted the sugar, because sugar? in greens?
It seems counter intuitive, but for bitter greens it cuts the bitterness slightly.
I really like the bitterness and luckily my family does too! Lesson for next time was if you’re making white sauce anyway, make a double batch.