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Kale Butter Nut Squash Gratin

Add in your favorite spices, like cumin and nutmeg, for some extra flavor!

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons avocado oil
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 (5 ounce) packages baby kale
  • ¾ cup low-fat milk, divided
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups very thinly sliced butternut squash (about 1 1/4 lbs.)
  • 1 (1 ounce) slice stale whole-grain bread (see Tip)
  • 1 teaspoon butter

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat an 8-inch-square baking dish with cooking spray.
  2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring often, until tender and golden, about 6 minutes. Stir in kale by the handful; cook, stirring frequently, until wilted, about 5 minutes.
  3. Whisk 2 Tbsp. milk and flour in a small bowl. Heat the remaining milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until little bubbles form on the surface, about 3 minutes. Whisk the flour mixture into the hot milk; cook, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in cheese and salt; cook, stirring constantly, until the cheese is melted and the sauce is thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir the cheese sauce into the kale mixture.
  4. Layer half of the squash in the prepared baking dish; top with half of the kale mixture. Repeat with the remaining squash and kale mixture. Cover with foil.
  5. Bake the gratin until the squash pierces easily with a fork, 40 to 50 minutes.
  6. Meanwhile, place bread in a food processor and process until it forms coarse crumbs. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the breadcrumbs; cook, stirring, until toasted, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.
  7. Sprinkle the gratin with the toasted breadcrumbs and let stand for 20 minutes before serving.

Tips

Tip: If you don't have stale bread, bake a slice at 275 degrees F until dry to the touch, 8 to 10 minutes.

To make ahead: Peel and slice the squash up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate.

Total Time: 1 hr. 35 minutes.

Nutritional Information:

Servings: 8

Calories: 119

Total Carbohydrates: 15g

Dietary Fiber: 4g

Protein: 6g