Kale Gratin - A Great Side Dish to Get in Your Greens

Published: Nov 10, 2022 · Modified: Jun 19, 2023 by Faith · This post may contain affiliate links · 59 Comments

Perfect for your holiday table, this rich and creamy Kale Gratin features nutrient-dense kale in a velvety cheese sauce. It's a great low carb and keto side dish option to have for Thanksgiving or any fall or winter meal!

With Thanksgiving swiftly approaching, many people are turning their thoughts to holiday fare.

Every year my family has a few ever-present staples (things like cranberry chutney, cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes, and mapled squash) to go along with the turkey. But we’re always looking for a few new favorites to grace our table as well. Enter this lovely kale gratin!

I can’t resist a beautiful bunch of kale, it really sings to me! I love its heartiness, earthy flavor (especially when paired with garlic), and versatility. A lot of people have to travel to be with loved ones this Thanksgiving; just a heads-up, this gratin travels and reheats excellently.

In This Article

The Best Creamy Kale Gratin Recipe

This kale gratin is so good, it'll convert just about anyone into a kale-lover! Garlic is a perfect flavor accent with leafy greens, and when kale is swimming in a rich, cheesy sauce, what's not to love, right?! And the fact that this side dish is keto is just a bonus.

Ingredients

Olive oil cooking spray
Extra-virgin olive oil
Garlic
Kale
Vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
Salt
Black pepper
Half and half
Cream cheese
Sharp white cheddar
Parmesan cheese (or Gruyère cheese)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic and cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
Stir in the kale, vegetable broth, salt, and black pepper. Cover the pot and cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the half and half, and let it come up to a simmer.
Stir in the cream cheese until incorporated.
Add the shredded cheddar half at a time, stirring until fully incorporated. Cook until the cheese is melted into the sauce, stirring constantly.
Transfer the kale mixture to an 8 by 8-inch or equivalent baking dish that's sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle the Parmesan on top.
Bake at 400F until the casserole is bubbling throughout, about 15 minutes. After that, broil it for a couple minutes to brown the top.

Storage

Once it's made, you can store this recipe covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Reheating

To reheat this dish, preheat the oven to 350F. Cover the dish with aluminum foil, and bake until warmed throughout, about 10 minutes.

Variations on This Recipe

Type of kale. I used common curly kale for this recipe. However, you can switch it up and use any type of kale you like. This gratin is also particularly delicious with lacinato kale (also called dinosaur kale or Tuscan kale).
The cheese. Don't be afraid to play with the cheese here! Instead of sharp white cheddar, you can use Fontina or Provolone. And just about any dry, aged cheese will work instead of Parmesan.
If keeping this dish keto isn't a concern. The original version of this recipe on my website wasn't keto! I made a couple quick and easy changes to make it low carb, but if you want to make the original version, it's easy! To so so, omit the cream cheese, and instead of half and half use whole milk. You will need to make a Béchamel sauce; to do so, melt 1 ½ tablespoons of unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in 1 ½ tablespoons of all-purpose flour and cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Whisk in the milk, bring up to a gentle boil, and then turn the heat down to simmer for 1 minute, whisking frequently. Remove from the heat and whisk in the sharp white cheddar half at a time. Continue on with the rest of the recipe.

Tips for Making Gratins with Leafy Greens

Don't overcook the greens. When you cook the kale in the pot, it only needs about 3 minutes. It should be just starting to soften, but not fully wilted. And it should still be a gorgeous shade of green. Don't forget, it will continue to cook in the oven!
Take your gratin to the next level. Just a tiny pinch of freshly-grated nutmeg will add complexity. If you didn't know it was there you probably wouldn't be able to pick it out, but nutmeg adds that special je ne sais quoi to this dish!
Make it ahead of time. If you're like me, you're always looking for Thanksgiving or holiday side dishes that you can make ahead of time! This kale gratin is perfect for that. To make this dish ahead of time, make this recipe through step 5 in the recipe card below. Let it cool to room temperature, and then wrap it and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days before continuing with the recipe.
Let it cool down for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. The sauce in this gratin thickens up gorgeously if you let this sit for about 10 to 15 minutes once it's out of the oven!

More Low Carb Side Dish Recipes to Make

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This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on November 19, 2010. I updated it with more information on November 10, 2022.

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