This week has been absolutely freezing. The area saw its first snow and subsequent ice, and unfortunately a lot of bad accidents as well. January surprises me every year - for some reason I expect November and December to be the coldest months of the year, and they never are! I'm always so excited when it's past Christmas, because I'm under the illusion that it'll warm up.
That has never happened. I think I just like to believe that my birthday month, February, is in the middle of summer instead of the middle of winter. As much as I love having a birthday on Valentine's Day, I would never have chosen that month if I knew how cold it would be, every year.
So, as a result, I end up cooking way too many soups and warm, hearty casseroles like this one to pretend like it's a lot warmer out than it is. And that, my friends, makes this month a lot more bearable.
Beginning to caramelize the onions...one of my favorite parts
I've cooked with kale no fewer than 3 times this week. It's amazing, and so nutritious
My crazy blend of cheeses. Pass no judgment, people, you'd do the same
There they are, in all their caramelized glory. Ok, I'm done talking about onions...for now
If you're wondering then yes, we inhaled it
Wild Rice Gratin
Adapted from The Smitten Kitchen cookbook
5 cups wild rice, cooked (I actually used a blend of wild & brown rices)
2 T butter, divided
1 T olive oil
2 large Vidalia onions, thinly sliced
Salt
Pepper
4 c (approx.) kale leaves, stemmed & ribboned
2 c fine cheeses (I used Asiago & Sharp Cabot Cheddar)
3/4 c chicken broth
1 c breadcrumbs
1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Heat 1 tablespoon butter and the olive oil in a large, ovenproof skillet over medium-low. Add the onion, sprinkling with salt and pepper, and cooking until tender. Stir occasionally. This will take around 30 minutes.
2. Add kale and cook until wilted, approximately 5 minutes. Stir this mixture with the wild rice and 1 cup of your cheeses of choice. I kept it all in the same skillet, so the hubby (aka dishwasher extraordinaire) would be happy.
3. Pour broth over this mixture, and stir well. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top, then cover with breadcrumbs that have been tossed with the rest of the butter, salt, and pepper.
4. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until cheese is melted and mixture is bubbly and you can't wait any longer to dig in
