Cheesy Creamed Kale [Side Dish]
Cheesy Creamed Kale
The Most Amazing Keto Side Dish EVER.
Look, I am a true lover of vegetables. I rarely meet one I don’t like. But kale’s bitter flavor can be off-putting sometimes. But the benefits of eating Kale are so great, that I had to develop a Kale recipe that would make anyone a kale lover. And this is it! Its cheesy, bacon-y, and just damn good. This one-pot side dish is easy and cheap to make, feeds a bunch of people, and is truly satisfying (you’ll totally forget its healthy!).
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TIPS:
Almost every grocery store now sells bags of pre-chopped kale. Its cheap and saves so much time and effort.
In terms of cheese, you can totally use whatever cheese you like. I particularly love the “Quattro Formaggio” cheese blend from Trader Joe’s, but if you can’t get to TJ’s don’t stress… any italian cheese blend will do in this recipe!
This side goes amazing with steak, roasted chicken, or crispy salmon!
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MACROS:
Per Serving (Serving Size is 1/4 of the recipe)
NET CARBS: 2.9g
FAT: 35.6g
PROTEIN: 14g
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INGREDIENTS:
12 oz Bag - Chopped Kale
5 Strips - Thick-cut Bacon
1 tsp - Kosher Salt
1 Cup - Heavy Whipping Cream
½ Cup - Shredded Mozzarella
¼ Cup (+ Extra for topping) - Shredded Italian Blend (or “Quattro Formaggio” from Trader Joe’s)
1 tsp - Garlic powder (or fresh chopped garlic)
Optional: Red pepper flakes
¼ tsp - Fresh-cracked black pepper
DIRECTIONS:
In a large cast-iron skillet (or oven-safe saucepan), cook the bacon until crispy. When cooked, set aside on a plate, but keep the bacon grease in the pan.
Turn heat to high, and pour in the entire bag of kale into the hot bacon grease. Add salt, and continue to stir everything for a minute or two, until it starts to wilt and get coated in the oil. After 2 minutes, the kale will be about half the volume it started.
Turn heat to medium-low, and add Heavy Cream, and both cheeses. Stir well.
Add garlic, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Continue to stir until its reduced more in volume and bubbly.
Preheat your oven to Broil.
Turn heat to low, and simmer for another 2-3 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the bacon into very small pieces. And toss back into the mixture, and stir one last time.
Then sprinkle the top with a little more cheese, and toss under the broiler on the top rack. Keep an eye on it, it only takes 1 minutes to crisp the cheese on top.
That’s it! Serve and enjoy this incredible side dish!