Hungry after a long week of work and weekend celebrations, we looked in the frig to see what we could come up with and avoid ordering in. There were collards left from that week’s CSA share, a few links of chorizo and, of course, cheese. A perfect combination. It was so good we made it again to make sure that our starving tummies weren’t deluding us. And they weren’t; the second time was even better.

You can easily substitute kale or spinach for the collards. Or use Italian sausage instead of chorizo. This well-balanced dish isn’t spicy, but you can adjust the heat according to your tastes. Serve this as a main course or a side with almost any protein.

Collard Greens, Chorizo and Feta Au Gratin
Serves 2.

Ingredients

1 bunch of collard greens
1 link of chorizo, casing removed
1/2 cup of feta
1/4 cup of parm
1/4 cup of shallots or onions, finely diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp of olive oil
1/3 cup of cream or half & half
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Red pepper
Bread crumbs, optional

Directions

Remove ribs from collards and discard. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add greens and blanch for 5 minutes.

Drain, let cool, squeeze excess water out and chop into pieces. Add back to the pot for mixing.

In the meantime, saute the shallots or onions in a little oil and add the sausage.

Crumble the sausage and brown for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for another 2 minutes. If it’s very greasy, then drain, but if not, there’s no need. Add mixture to the greens.

Add in the feta, parm and cream. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and red pepper, if desired. Stir well to combine. Add a little heat to the pot if necessary to mix in the cheese.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or Pam a medium sized casserole dish. Sprinkle with some parm. Add the mixture to the casserole. Make sure there’s enough moisture. If not, add some additional cream. Sprinkle with some additional parm and breadcrumbs if desired.

Place it in oven for about 15 minutes or until bubbly and brown.