This creamed kale is the perfect cheesy side dish (made in just 30 minutes) that's loaded with parmesan and mascarpone cheese. Serve the dish with toasted panko breadcrumbs for the perfect bite of crunch.
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If you're looking for a leafy green to include on the Thanksgiving dinner table, look no further than this cheesy creamed kale recipe. It's filled with lots of fresh kale, parmesan, and mascarpone cheese.
The best part (trust me, don't skip this) is the toasted panko bread crumbs on top. It adds the perfect crunchy texture to each bite!
Don't forget to check out more of my Thanksgiving side dish recipes like this homemade green bean casserole, garlic cauliflower mash, or brown sugar glazed carrots.
What You'll Learn In This Recipe
- How to wilt kale (this is a technique that works for other leafy greens, like spinach).
- Toasting breadcrumbs for a crunchy topping.
- Tips for keeping the creamed kale warm for Thankgiving dinner.
If you're preparing this recipe for Thanksgiving dinner, don't forget to grab my (free) timeline to keep yourself organized and on track!
Ingredients You Need
- Extra virgin olive oil: Make sure to use a high-quality olive oil to add good flavor to the dish.
- Leeks: Clean the leeks by slicing them in half and rinsing out the folds. Leeks are known for being very dirty, so don't skip this step. You'll only want to slice up the white/light green parts for this recipe.
- Kale: To prepare the kale for the dish, first de-stem, then roughly chop.
- Panko bread crumbs: Don't try to use regular breadcrumbs as they won't work for this recipe.
- Mascarpone cheese: This adds an amazing, cheesy flavor to the kale.
- Heavy cream: You can use half and half or whole milk if you don't have heavy cream on hand.
- Parmesan cheese: I prefer to shred my parmesan cheese by hand so that it melts better. Pre-shredded cheese typically has an anti-caking agent that inhibits melting.
- Lemon juice: This adds the perfect touch of acidity to the dish.
- Morton kosher salt/black pepper: It's important to flavor vegetables with salt and pepper (it actually enhances the natural flavor).
How To Make This Recipe
1. Heat ¼ cup (50 grams) olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add leeks, and sauté until tender.
Add kale and cook covered, stirring occasionally, until the kale has wilted.
2. While the kale is cooking add 2 tablespoons (25 grams) olive oil and panko to a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the panko is golden brown.
3. Add mascarpone and heavy cream to the kale. Cook until the mascarpone has completely melted. Add parmesan cheese, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and cook for an additional 1–2 minutes until the cheese has fully melted and most of the cream has been absorbed.
4. To serve, place kale in a serving bowl and top with toasted panko.
Expert Tips
- Need to keep the dish warm? Cover the serving bowl with aluminum foil and the creamed kale will stay warm for 30 minutes. Alternatively, keep warm on a Crockpot low setting, stirring occasionally. Add additional heavy cream if you notice the kale getting dry. Be sure to keep the panko bread crumbs separate until you’re ready to serve.
- Any variety of kale will work for this recipe! Just choose one that you enjoy the taste of.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, simply substitute equal amounts of mascarpone for cream cheese.
First, tear the kale leaves off by pulling the leafy part down and off the stem. Next, clean the leaves and chop them into large pieces.
If you notice the kale is too watery, just allow it to cook for a slightly longer time. This will help the excess liquid to cook off.
More Side Dish Recipes
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below. Have questions as you're cooking? Leave a comment below, and I'll help!
Parmesan Creamed Kale With Toasted Breadcrumbs
Equipment
- pot
- saucepan
- serving bowl
Ingredients
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- 2 cups leeks cleaned and thinly sliced (white part only)
- 2 pounds kale stemmed and roughly chopped into large pieces (about 4 large bunches)
- 1 ½ cups panko bread crumbs
- 8 ounces mascarpone cheese
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Morton kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat ¼ cup (50 grams) olive oil in a large pot over medium low heat. Add leeks and saute until tender. Add kale and cook covered, stirring occasionally, until the kale has wilted, about 8–10 minutes.
- While the kale is cooking add 2 tablespoons (25 grams) olive oil and panko to a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the panko is golden brown, about 5–8 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Add mascarpone and heavy cream to the kale. Cook until the mascarpone has completely melted. Add parmesan cheese, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and cook for an additional 1–2 minutes until the cheese has fully melted and most of the cream has been absorbed.
- To serve, place kale in a serving bowl and top with toasted panko.
Em
I always love creamed kale, but it's not usually my family's favorite. I was so surprised when they said they loved it as much as I did!