I am still lovin’ the Fall Season! And the Fall Season means hearty soups and casseroles.
Yep! I refuse to let warmer Florida temperatures lure me away from Autumn and comfort food smells permeating throughout my kitchen.
This kale and wild rice casserole just screams “Fall/Autumn” and Sunday Dinner or Supper.
Sunday was the day of the week that our family sat down to eat together. Now, we did eat together, each and every evening meal….no eating out for us in those days…but what I mean is, the Sunday meal was just a special day and meal. A little bit more that other meal days. Does that make sense?
So lets talk about casseroles that can be made on Saturday night and popped in the oven for an after church Sunday dinner or any day of the week for that matter.
There is nothing like the cozy smell of something baking in the oven or simmering on the stove is there? (and I am not sure there is something called a cozy smell…but I think you understand my meaning! )
AND if we can combine “cozy smells” and healthy eating…well there is certainly a winner winner chicken dinner to coin a phrase by a popular chef.
My dear readers….it seems every time someone talks “healthy” eating….kale is likely to be mentioned, and I have to admit I was not too fond of the green crinkly stuff myself. In the beginning.
BUT…..because I am always willing to “try anything”…well, within reason…(and it has to be my reason!), I jumped into kale with a positive attitude.
Well, I didn’t literally “jump” into a tub of kale. But you knew that, didn’t you?
A surprising fact is that kale has been around for centuries, mostly as an ornamental plant…. it wasn’t until the 1980s that kale was commercialized in California and someone somewhere decided to make edible greens.
I have tried the kale chips…and I am not going to tell you that they taste like potato chips, but they do taste good and definitely something different.
Another fact is, that kale when cooked, in my opinion…. doesn’t look very appetizing. Kale can turn dark and “burnt” looking. Which is why I like to pair it with wild rice….the dark pieces of wild rice and kale look pretty much the same. But the taste is very good, so if you can get past the look…you should like kale. 🙂
However, I can attest that the printable casserole recipe below is very tasty and if you like spinach…you should like this recipe.
Do you, my dear readers like kale?
Perhaps you have a great kale recipe you would like to share.
Have a great Fall Sunday, and enjoy whatever meal you make with your family.
- 2 large bunches of Kale, leaves torn
- 1 pound mushrooms, sliced (I used Cremini but any mushroom will work)
- 1 medium size onion, cut in half and sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup of chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 4 cups cooked wild rice
- 1 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded or any cheese of your choosing
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- tomato wedges and chopped scallions for garnish
- salt and pepper
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Add the torn kale to a heavy skillet (I use cast iron) that has been heated over medium heat along with 1 cup of room temperature water.
- Cover the skillet allowing the kale to steam and wilt....it will look like cooked spinach and will take about 10 minutes
- Once the kale is wilted and all of the water has been absorbed, remove the kale from the skillet and set aside.
- Return the skillet to medium heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. When the skillet is hot, sprinkle in the mushrooms and onions and allow them to caramelize. I find if I don't stir them but let them sizzle a bit, the caramelization works faster. But be careful not to let them get too brown...stir them if needed. At this point, season with salt and pepper and add the butter and cook for about 5 more minutes
- Add the minced garlic and the kale back into the mushroom mixture stirring to incorporate all the ingredients
- Add the chicken broth and gently simmer for about 2 minutes.
- Combine cornstarch and milk and make a slurry and add to the skillet of ingredients
- Add the heavy cream (or milk) and stir to combine
- Remove from the heat and add the cooked wild rice and pour into a 3 quart greased casserole dish.
- Sprinkle the cheese over the casserole and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted Garnish with tomato wedges and chopped scallions (green onion)
- You can buy microwave wild rice or make your own. Make it easy on yourself. 😉
- The Gruyere cheese is a nice change of pace for casseroles but you can certainly use any cheese you prefer.
Please comment, I'd love to hear from you.