Sweet Potato and Kale Au Gratin

I was looking for something to do with what I had in the fridge, which happened to be sweet potatoes and kale.  Sounds like a good combination right?  Some of you are thinking, “NO!” But don’t you get bored of roasted, sauteed, steamed, and baked? Boring, right?

I absolutely love potatoes, all of them. They are found in the ground, not in a box which means that are the way nature intended and always good for you.  To make a traditional au gratin recipe healthier and to sneak in some fiber, I wanted to throw in something green and use sweet potatoes instead of white!

Boy was this one a keeper!  How delicious, sweet, savory, filling and with two of my favorite ingredients, sweet potatoes and kale.  A perfect substitution for the traditional potatoes au gratin or mac and cheese.  And your kids will never know what hit them!  We had this as a meal with a salad on the side.  What a great idea for meatless Mondays!

My family devoured this and it is made great leftovers too.  Don’t forget to put a little green in your favorite dishes.  Then you won’t feel so guilty when you eat it!  The way I see it, the fiber overrides the cheese. 😉 Feel free to add more cheese if you need it — I try to go lighter when it comes to dairy but hey, if you like cheese, make it happen!

Ingredients:

3c peeled sweet potatoes peeled and thinly sliced (or you will need to pre cook potatoes) with a mandolin if possible if you use a food processor you will have to cook for a much longer time if they are thicker. In this case, throw them in a pot of boiling water which will cut down on cooking time. If you are in a rush just cook them in boiling water till crisp tender.

2 TBSP Organic Olive Oil

1 10 oz bag of chopped kale

1 chopped onion

1 pint organic heavy cream

4 TBLS Kerrygold butter (optional)

3 cloves chopped garlic

1/2 cup shaved organic Parmesan

1/2 cup shredded dubliner cheese

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Saute garlic and onion until clear in olive oil then add kale, about half at a time for about 5 minutes, stirring until wilted.  You can also cover to steam.
3. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Squeeze or drain excess water.
4. Place half of the potatoes in a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Top potatoes with kale, garlic and onion mixture, then half of the Dubliner cheese and shaved parmesan cheese. Place remaining potatoes in dish and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. Whisk together whipping cream, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and pour over potatoes. Cut the butter into small pieces and disperse on top since there is not a ton of cheese. The butter is optional but gives a nice flavor and keeps it from getting dry on top.
5. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 20-25 minutes more, or until potatoes are tender and cheese is golden brown. Allow to sit 15 minutes before serving because you will burn your mouth trying to eat it before it’s cool like I did.

Try to have some restraint while you’re at it. YUM!

-Laura