Kale & Brown Rice Gratin

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Wash and strip your kale from the stems before rolling into bundles and cutting into ribbons. This is what is known as a chiffonade cut.

Melt 3 tbsp of butter into a saute pan. Sweat your minced shallots for 2 minutes. Then, add your rice and toast in the butter until golden brown. Stir in the milk and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, knock down the heat to medium low and cover. Cook the mixture for 45 minutes to an hour or until the rice has nearly absorbed all of the liquid. It should still have a bite. Add additional water if the milk is being absorbed too quickly.

Meanwhile, saute the kale and garlic in a tablespoon of olive oil for 2 minutes. Set aside. Melt the remaining butter and toss in the breadcrumbs. You can add additional seasoning to taste.

Once the rice is nearly cooked, add the garlic and onion powders, cayenne, mustard and nutmeg. Add the cooked kale. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and top with the Cheddar cheese and panic breadcrumbs.

Cook at 375 degrees and bake for 30 minutes until the gratin is golden brown and bubbling around the edges.

Enjoy as a holiday side dish or as a comforting, healthy-ish weeknight meal!