Kale and Wild Rice Casserole
This recipe is for a hearty and flavorful Kale and Wild Rice Casserole. It's perfect for a cold night or a special occasion.
This recipe is for a hearty and flavorful Kale and Wild Rice Casserole. It's perfect for a cold night or a special occasion.
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 large bunches kale leaves torn
- 1 pound cremini mushrooms sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced or grated
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme chopped
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup milk (i used 2%)
- 1 cup chicken broth (or veggie broth)
- 1/4 cup heavy cream or canned coconut milk
- 4 cups cooked wild rice
- 1 1/2 cup gruyere cheese shredded
- 2 large sweet onions sliced into thin rings
- Carbohydrate 49.7752174562585 g
- Cholesterol 34.7838541688468 mg
- Fat 13.8039200638181 g
- Fiber 4.57008563449963 g
- Protein 17.3889765709384 g
- Saturated Fat 6.7654913619609 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (375g)
- Sodium 134.123940028369 mg
- Sugar 45.2051318217589 g
- Trans Fat 0.90175870987234 g
- Calories 379 calories
Step-by-step
- Grease a 2-3 quart casserole dish. Set aside.
- Heat a very large skillet (the largest you have!) over medium-high heat. Add all of the torn kale to the skillet and add 1 cup of water. Cover the skillet and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the kale is wilted. 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 in a single layer. Don't stir them! Let them sizzle until they have caramelized on the bottom, about 2 minutes. When the bottoms are caramelized, toss them once and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Continue to cook without stirring for about 5 minutes. Now add the butter to the skillet and cook until the butter begins to brown. Once the butter is browned reduce the heat and add the garlic, thyme and nutmeg and cook for about 10 seconds. Now add the kale back to the skillet with the mushrooms, garlic and spices and toss well.
- Sprinkle the flour over the kale and mushrooms and cook for 1 minute. Add the milk and chicken broth, bring to a boil and cook 2-3 minutes or until there is a thick sauce. Add the cream and stir to combine. Remove from the heat and stir in the cooked wild rice. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Now wipe the skillet and add the olive oil, cook over medium-high heat. Add the onions and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until the onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes.Continue to cook until the onions are golden brown, about 20 minutes.
- Sprinkle half the cheese over the casserole and then add the onions and the remaining cheese. Bake the casserole for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the onions are crispy. Serve!
Wild rice, which is botanically an aquatic grass seed rather than true Asian rice, carries a distinctively nutty, robust flavor profile that has anchored Indigenous North American diets for centuries. Because authentic wild rice maintains a firm, chewy exterior even after boiling, it requires a sturdy binding agent and plenty of moisture to soften properly inside a baked dish. Casseroles emerged historically as practical solutions for stretching limited quantities of grain and protein into substantial meals for large gatherings, transforming disparate pantry staples into unified, cohesive dishes.
Building textures in this recipe demands careful attention to sequencing, especially when managing moisture released by leafy greens and fungi. Steam the kale with precisely one cup of water inside a covered skillet for ten to fifteen minutes to collapse its tough cellular walls, ensuring that subsequent additions of flour and dairy can form a smooth, clinging sauce rather than a watery broth. When caramelizing the cremini mushrooms, resist the urge to stir them immediately; allowing them to sit undisturbed for two full minutes in a hot pan creates the deep browning necessary to build a savory foundation before butter, garlic, and freshly grated nutmeg enter the skillet.
Substitutions remain straightforward if specific items are unavailable in the pantry. Vegetable broth replaces chicken stock seamlessly without altering the final baking time of twenty to twenty-five minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit, and canned coconut milk functions as a direct one-to-one swap for heavy cream while maintaining the rich mouthfeel required to coat the grains.
