Tender kale and sweet butternut squash come together in this creamy casserole. We added a touch of nutmeg to enhance the squash’s natural sugars, then a generous dose of salty Parmesan for balance. Serve alongside your favorite main for an equally beautiful and flavorful side dish.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 50 min |
| Active: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds curly kale
- Kosher salt
- 12 ounces butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Remove the tough, fibrous ribs from the kale leaves and discard the ribs. Tear the leaves into bite-size pieces. Reserve any tender stems and finely chop. Keep the leaves and chopped stems separate.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat and fill a large bowl with ice water. Add the kale leaves to the boiling water and cook until tender and bright green, 1 to 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or tongs to transfer the kale to the ice water bath. Once completely cool, drain well. Bring the water back to a boil, then add the squash. Cook until just tender, about 3 minutes. Drain well and reserve the pot.
- Place the pot over medium-high heat. Melt the butter, then add the reserved kale stems, garlic, onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in the kale leaves, squash, heavy cream, cream cheese, Parmesan and nutmeg until well combined and smooth. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Transfer to a 2-quart baking dish. Stir together the breadcrumbs, parsley and a pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl until combined, then sprinkle evenly over the top of the casserole. Bake until golden brown and bubbling at the edges, 15 to 20 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 467 |
| Total Fat | 37 g |
| Saturated Fat | 22 g |
| Carbohydrates | 27 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 6 g |
| Sugar | 7 g |
| Protein | 13 g |
| Cholesterol | 114 mg |
| Sodium | 671 mg |
Reviews
This was one of the best & tastiest recipes I’ve ever made and I’ve been cooking for awhile. Just gave it a try on the first time following the directions and it turned out awesome.
This was delicious! Made as written.
Super yummy!
Everyone loved it!
1.5 pounds of kale is a lot of kale. Is it really 1.5 cups or bunches?
Can this recipe be made a head of time? I am preparing my side dishes for Thanksgiving and was wondering if I can make this the day before?
I’ve finally found a way to eat kale and butternut squash! The combo is so good and all the creamy sauce is heaven! I had it with fried chicken and biscuits with honey. I’ll definitely make this again, maybe for Thanksgiving.
Loved this recipe. Bit of work getting everything prepped but well worth the final result. Will definitely make this again, just wish they had included the nutritional info.
This was an awesome recipe and will be making this again for Thanksgiving
Very rich and cheesy. Substituted kale with kale and spinach, substituted squash with sweet potato, substituted parmesan with mozzarella, and lastly cheated with stovetop stuffing on top. I would have it again, just not right away. Son thought it would be good as deep fried cassarole balls. 🙂