Looking for an easy, yet delicious, dinner idea? Try this Cheesy Creamed Kale recipe! It's perfect for home cooks of all skill levels, and it'll please even the pickiest of eaters. Plus, it's a great way to get your family to eat their greens. So give this recipe a try - you won't regret it!
If you've ever had creamed spinach before, I can guarantee you'll love this Cheesy Creamed Kale just as much! It's savory and extra cheesy, easy to make and easy to eat, and goes well as a side dish for just about everything!
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
Creamed kale originally caught my eye over on NYT Cooking and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it! It's basically like a spinach dip appetizer that gets served as a side dish and I am so here for it. Can you even imagine?
The recipe on NYT originally gets made in a slow cooker, but if you're familiar with my Thanksgiving menu, than you know my slow cooker will be re-heating the mashed potatoes on the big day so I gave this a spin on the stove top... it's genius.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Kale stems removed and leaves roughly chopped into 1 inch pieces
- Olive Oil
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper freshly cracked
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Unsalted Butter
- Panko Bread Crumbs
- Lemon zested and juiced
- Cream Cheese at room temp
- Fontina Cheese grated
- Heavy Cream
*For a full list of ingredients and instructions please see recipe card below.
How To Make Cheesy Creamed Kale
Step 1: In a large bowl, add the kale and ½ cup of olive oil and season with salt. Massage the kale for 2-3 minutes so it starts to soften. Heat the remaining olive oil in a very large pot or Dutch oven. Add the kale in batches, stirring to wilt until all the kale has been added.
Step 2: Cover the pot and cook on medium-low, stirring every few minutes, until the kale is soft, about 20-30 minutes. Add the balsamic and stir to combine. If the kale starts to brown, reduce heat to low and continue to cook.
Step 3: While the kale is cooking, melt the butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the panko bread crumbs and season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Step 4: Stir and sauté until the bread crumbs are golden-brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest and remove from the heat.
Step 5: Add the cream cheese in small pieces and into the kale, while still over low heat. Stir the cream cheese until it's melted into the kale.
Step 6: Add the fontina, lemon juice and heavy cream and combine for about 1 minute until the fontina is melted.
Step 7: Transfer the kale mixture to a serving bowl and sprinkle the toasted panko over the top to serve.
How To Store Cheesy Creamed Kale
You can store this in an airtight container for about 3-4 days, and can heat it on the stovetop over low heat or in the oven.
How to Freeze Cheesy Creamed Kale
You can freeze this in an airtight container for a month. When its time to eat, warm it in the oven till its warm and melty!
Tips & Tricks
You can also make this recipe with spinach, half spinach/half kale, or any other hearty leafy green.
FAQs
Do you have to blanch the kale for Cheesy Creamed Kale?
Nope! It gets cooked over about 30 minutes so need to blanch and take that extra step.
Could you make this with Spinach?
You absolutely can! Or you could do it with half spinach and half kale. Or throw in some Swiss chard. Bottom line... it's great with any hearty leafy green.
Can I use frozen kale?
Yes! But make sure you thaw it out completely and then ring it dry to remove all excess moisture!
PS – are you thinking of putting this Creamed Kale on your Thanksgiving menu? Check out the full What’s Gaby Cooking menu here along with the master prep schedule to keep things organized and on track!
And if you need more Thanksgiving Ideas check out this roundup of 80+ Thanksgiving Recipes and Ideas
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If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today
Cheesy Creamed Kale
Ingredients
- 3 lbs kale (roughly 3 to 5 large bunches), stems removed and leaves roughly chopped into 1 inch pieces
- ¾ cup olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temp
- 8 ounces grated fontina cheese (white cheddar also delish)
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the kale and ½ cup of olive oil and season with salt. Massage the kale for 2-3 minutes so it starts to soften.
- Heat the remaining olive oil in a very large pot or Dutch oven. Add the kale in batches, stirring to wilt until all the kale has been added. Cover the pot and cook on medium-low, stirring every few minutes, until the kale is soft, about 20-30 minutes. Add the balsamic and stir to combine. If the kale starts to brown, reduce heat to low and continue to cook.
- While the kale is cooking, melt the butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the panko bread crumbs and season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Stir and sauté until the bread crumbs are golden-brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest and remove from the heat.
- Add the cream cheese in small pieces and into the kale, while still over low heat. Stir the cream cheese until it's melted into the kale. Add the fontina, lemon juice and heavy cream and combine for about 1 minute until the fontina is melted. Transfer the kale mixture to a serving bowl and sprinkle the toasted panko over the top to serve.
This was so good! It definitely reminded me of spinach dip in a side dish, so so cheesy. I used curly kale and it was great.
Could you scale this way down? If so, would you need to do anything differently? I have most of one large bunch of lacinato kale to use up. Thanks!
just cut everything in half!
A new side dish favorite!!!
How many ounces of baby spinach would you use instead of kale? Unfortunately my husband refuses to eat kale.
I couldn't get heavy cream because the store was all sold out. Could I sub sour cream for the heavy cream?
I would do half and half if you have it
Made this for thanksgiving, it was the #1 hit of the day! Yes, more beloved than the mashed potatoes, biscuits, and turkey!
So I completely misunderstood the weight, bought grams not oz. We ended up with a taste of creamy kale and left our guests wanting more. I'm more of a spinach girl, but this was tasty. I used gruyere and cheddar instead and baked the bread crumbs for the last few minutes. Yummy!
Can you make this a few days ahead and keep in fridge? Looking for an easy Christmas!
absolutely
Any suggestions on making it dairy free? Goat gouda is what I'm thinking for the cheese but the heavy cream...
you could used an unsweetened unflavored almond milk
I just made this, it's amazing. I used a combo of spinach and kale, it great and I wish I had more!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Is there any way to make this ahead? I have to cook a dish for Turkey Day at my hubs fire station in Studio City and would love to bring it in and do a quick re-heat since the ovens and stovetop will most likely have other stuff going on. What do you think? Are there any of your veggie sides that could be made ahead and reheated?
you could serve this out of a slow cooker and it would be great! Just sprinkle the bread crumbs on top at the last minute
If I wanted to double the recipe and make it in a roasting pan, would 9x13 work?
would you do the roasting pan on the stove top?
What kind of kale is shown in the picture?
lacinato kale
Can you share the steps for making it in slow cooker?
What are your suggestions for storing leftovers?
Cannot wait to make this!
leftovers of the kale specifically - just pop it in an air tight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days
I recently made a veg lasagna using kale. It was delicious. This one is going to be a winner!!
What could I use as a sub for fontina cheese?
you could do gouda! or any mild white cheese that melts well!
I used Mozzarella, not super flavorful, but the dish has such good flavor, it meshed well!