Dreading another bunch of mundane kale in your veggie share?  This gratin recipe will make you wish you had more.

Kale doesn’t have to be painstakingly dehydrated into chips or simply sauteed.  Sub it for spinach in your favorite recipe.  Mine happens to include cream and cheese.  Granted it’s not the healthiest use, but it’s delicious.  I adapted it here to make it slightly less fattening (left out the bacon).  This recipe is ideal with simply grilled red meat.  But if you want to eat the whole portion as a main course, no one will tell.

Tuscan Kale Gratin with Caramelized Onions
Serves 2.

Ingredients

1 bunch of Tuscan kale
1/2 a medium size red onion
1/4 cup of heavy cream or half and half
1/4 cup of parm, plus more for sprinkling
1/8 tsp of smoked paprika
1/8 tsp of red pepper
1 and 1/2 tbsps of butter
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)

Directions

Slice onions into strips.  Melt butter in nonstick pan over medium low.  Add onions.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Saute for 2 minutes.  Reduce heat and continue to cook, stirring occasionally for at least 15 minutes.

While the onions are cooking, remove the ribs from the kale and chop the leaves.  Blanch the leaves in a pot of salted water (about 2 minutes).  Rinse under cool water to stop cooking.  Squeeze out excess water.  Heat cream in medium saucepan over medium low.  Add parm and stir to melt in.  Add spices and some ground pepper (the cheese should be salty enough).  When it starts to thicken, add the kale.  Stir to coat. (Add bacon crumbles if desired.)  Transfer the kale and cream mixture to a gratin dish.  Top with the caramelized onions.  Sprinkle some more parm on top.  You can serve as is for creamed kale.  For the gratin, broil or bake at 325 for about 10 minutes.

Note:  Most recipes use nutmeg in the sauce.  If you don’t want the smoke or the heat, then feel free to substitute 1/8 tsp of nutmeg for the paprika and red pepper.  A little nutmeg can go a long way, so don’t overpower it.