Vegetarian Recipes

Creamed Kale

There are plenty of kale haters out there, but I’m not one of them. Quite the opposite, in fact! I LOVE kale. But if you share your table with some kale skeptics, give my recipe for Creamed Kale a try, and I guarantee you’ll convert at least one of them! The sauce is smooth and creamy (but not too heavy), and the kale still has a little bite to it. This easy side is ready in just 30 minutes and is a family-friendly way to enjoy this nutrient-packed leafy green!

As I said, I love kale! I love to grow it, I love to massage it with vinaigrette and eat it raw, I love to use it in pesto, I love to steam it, heck… I even love to work it into bouquets of flowers here on our farm! Kale forever, in all its forms! So, when it comes to the holidays, you already know this easy creamed kale recipe is going to be on our table.

What is Creamed Kale?

This recipe is a twist on the classic creamed spinach. I blanch fresh kale in boiling water for a few minutes to give it that perfect texture—not too raw, but not overcooked and mushy, either. Then I make a simple creamy sauce using salted butter, onion, garlic, half ‘n half, and seasonings. The kale gets stirred into the sauce with a sprinkling of Parmesan, left to simmer for a few minutes, and voila! Creamed kale is born. It’s a delicious veggie side for any meal and an easy way to add more greens to your diet!

Here’s what you’ll need to make this homemade creamed kale recipe:

Kale: I use fresh kale, specifically Lacinato kale (also known as ‘Dinosaur Kale’ due to its bumpy appearance resembling the skin of a dinosaur!). Yes, it’s a little more expensive, but I much prefer the texture of Lacinato in this recipe. But that said, you can totally use regular curly kale, too. Be sure to remove the tough stems and chop the leaves into bite-sized pieces.
Yellow Onion & Garlic: Creates a flavorful base for the sauce.
Salted Butter: Softens the onion and sautés the garlic, adding richness to the creamy sauce.
Seasonings: Nutmeg and red pepper flakes add warmth and a tiny bit of heat to balance out the creaminess. I also add salt when cooking the onions, and then I season the dish with salt and pepper to taste.
Half ‘n Half: I add this to the sauce to create a creamier and richer consistency. Be sure to use room temperature half ‘n half to avoid curdling when added to the hot pan.
Parmesan Cheese: Adds an irresistible, nutty, cheesy flavor that perfectly complements the earthy kale.

Can I Make it Dairy-Free?

If you’re avoiding dairy, you can easily swap the butter for vegan butter and the half ‘n half for coconut milk. If you’re going to use coconut milk, you could even add some curry powder to the mix! Holy YUM!

If your sauce isn’t thickening up enough, don’t add cornstarch or flour; add ½ tsp of vinegar! Whisk, whisk, whisk, and watch your cream turn nice and thick fast. Essentially, it’s like making your own buttermilk, but I promise it’ll yield a thicker and creamier sauce if you find it needs a little help. I also love the brightness a little vinegar adds to just about any dish.

Can I Use Frozen Kale?

I much prefer fresh kale in this recipe, but you can use frozen kale if that’s all you have on hand. Be sure to thaw it fully in the refrigerator and squeeze out excess liquid before using. There’s also no need to blanch it if the kale was already blanched before freezing. Just note the texture of your creamed kale will likely be softer and less firm compared to using fresh kale.

Storage Instructions

This recipe is best served fresh, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or stovetop until warmed through. I recommend adding a splash of half ‘n half if the sauce thickens too much during reheating.

Side view of creamed kale in a squash-shaped serving platter.

Creamed Kale Recipe

This easy Creamed Kale recipe has the creamiest, cheesiest sauce that’ll convert even the biggest kale skeptics. Ready in just 30 minutes!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Total Cost ($8.18 recipe / $1.02 serving)

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings servings (½ cup per serving)

Calories 68kcal

Author Jess – Budget Bytes

Equipment

Deep Stainless Steel Skillet

Ingredients

2 bunches kale* $5.38
¼ tsp salt, divided $0.01
2 Tbsp salted butter $0.16
½ yellow onion, julienned (thinly sliced) $0.47
1 clove garlic, minced $0.03
¼ tsp red pepper flakes $0.03
⅛ tsp nutmeg $0.03
½ cup half ‘n half, room temperature $0.84
3 Tbsp Parmesan cheese $1.23

Instructions

De-stem and rinse kale in cold water.
Coarsely chop kale and blanch in boiling water seasoned with ⅛ tsp salt for about 3 min. Quickly transfer kale to an ice bath to maintain color. Set aside.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat and add the remaining ⅛ tsp salt and the julienned (thinly sliced) onion.
Cook until softened. Then, add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and nutmeg and cook another 2 minutes.
Add the room temperature half ‘n half over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cream thickens to a sauce consistency, about 5 minutes.
Add kale and Parmesan cheese and toss to coat and let it soften, about 5 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and remove from the heat. Transfer to your favorite casserole dish or serving plate to serve.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*I used Lacinato Kale (aka Dinosaur Kale), but this recipe works with curly kale, too. I didn’t love the texture of curly kale as much with this soft, rich sauce, so I decided to splurge on Lacinato kale. I was willing to spend a little extra to see my family gobble up all of this creamed kale!

Nutrition

how to make Creamed Kale – step by step photos

Hands removing the stems from a leaf of kale.

De-stem and rinse 2 bunches of kale in cold water.

Tongs holding blanched kale over a bowl of iced water.

Coarsely chop kale and blanch in boiling water seasoned with ⅛ tsp salt for about 3 min. Quickly transfer kale to an ice bath to maintain color. Set aside.

Melt 2 Tbsp salted butter in a large skillet over medium heat and add the remaining ⅛ tsp salt and the julienned (thinly sliced) ½ an onion.

Sauted sliced onions in a skillet with seasonings and garlic added.

Cook until softened. Then, add the 1 clove minced garlic, ¼ tsp red pepper flakes, and ⅛ tsp nutmeg and cook another 2 minutes.

A hand pouring half and half into a skillet with sliced onions and seasonings.

Add ½ cup room temperature half ‘n half over medium heat.

Creamy onion sauce for creamed kale in a skillet.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cream thickens to a sauce consistency, about 5 minutes.

Blanched kale with parmesan cheese added to a creamy sauce in a skillet.

Add the blanched kale and 3 Tbsp Parmesan cheese and toss to coat and let it soften, about 5 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper to taste and remove from the heat. Transfer to your favorite casserole dish or serving plate to serve.

Overhead view of creamed kale in a serving dish.

Enjoy this smooth, cheesy creamed kale with your favorite protein for a well-rounded and delicious dinner!

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Overhead view of sweet potatoes and black bean skillet with napkin and wooden spoon on the side.

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The post Creamed Kale appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Cheesy Vegetarian

Homity Pie (Cheesy Potato and Leek Pie)

If you’re not familiar with homity pie, let me introduce you:

Homity pie is a traditional British recipe, which is essentially a cheesy potato and leek pie. It’s just the sort of thing we Brits do perfectly – simple ingredients, combined to make incredible comfort food. Say what you like about British food, but it’s hard to argue with buttery sautéed leeks, cheesy crushed potatoes, and a flaky shortcrust pastry case.

A slice of homity pie (cheesy potato and leek pie).

I’m not going to lie, this homity pie is a bit of a labour of love. It’s not a quick weeknight meal like most of my recipes – this cheesy pie is definitely one to save for a special occasion (it would be perfect for a vegetarian Christmas dinner!).

Since cooking this pie takes a bit of time and patience, don’t try to cook it against the clock. Give yourself plenty of leeway – perhaps an afternoon where you’ve not got much else on. That way, it doesn’t matter if the potatoes have to sit for a little while so you can finish cooking the leeks, or if the pastry case is ready to fill before the filling is actually cooked – you can just potter away at your own pace, and it can all be assembled when you’re ready.

Overhead shot of a cheesy pie with a slice pulled away.

What’s in Homity Pie?

There are three parts to this recipe:

garlicky sautéed leeks and onion
buttery crushed potatoes (with a cheesy topping)
a crispy pastry case

These 3 elements can all be prepared simultaneously, or one at a time, depending on how good you are at multitasking. I’ve written the recipe in 3 separate parts, but if the timings work out (or if you have someone else helping you in the kitchen), you can prepare them all at the same time.

Once all three parts of the recipe are ready, they can be assembled, and baked one last time to complete your cheesy homity pie.

And by the way, I am 100% not a pastry expert. You may think my homity pie looks decidedly… rustic. But I like it that way If I wanted it to look perfect, I’d have saved myself a couple of hours, and bought one in a shop.

Becca’s Top Tip

Any extra scraps of pastry can be baked on their own, and eaten spread with strawberry jam – my kids love it when I cook with pastry as they always get little jam tarts!

Cheesy Vegetarian Bakes ebook on an ipad screen.

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Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

leek – It’s hard to get the scale from the picture, but the leek I used was absolutely enormous – a proper monster (probably as big as my forearm!). If your leeks are a more normal size, you’ll probably need at least two.
potatoes
shortcrust pastry – I used a ready-rolled sheet of shop-bought pastry, as making pastry is not my forte. Feel free to use homemade pastry if you prefer!
cheddar cheese – If possible, use freshly grated mature cheddar cheese rather than the pre-grated stuff, as it melts more nicely.
onion – I used red onion, but regular onions would also be good.
fresh parsley
egg
garlic – I used pre-minced garlic from a jar because I hate chopping large amounts of fresh garlic.
curry powder (optional, but it does add a lovely hint of warmth)

Becca’s Top Tip

If you’re using shop-bought pastry, take it out of the fridge an hour or so before you need to use it. This helps it to soften a little, and means it’s less likely to crack as you unroll it.

Recipe Video

Equipment

I like to use a loose bottomed springform cake tin for homemade pies. It works really well because:

The clip on the side and the loose bottom make it so easy to remove the pie from the tin once it’s finished baking.
It gives a nice tall pie, which looks great, and also gives a wonderfully thick layer of filling.
The metal heats up nicely and helps to crisp up the pastry.

You can use a shallower pie tin to make homity pie if that’s what you have, but I would always recommend a cake tin if you have one.

Here’s a similar one on Amazon, with great reviews:

8-Inch Springform Cake Tin

I love using a loose-bottomed springform cake tin to make homemade pie. If you’re in the UK or Australia, click ‘Buy on Amazon’ to view a local product.

A slice of homity pie with sautéed leeks, potatoes and cheese.

Printable Instructions

Homity Pie (Cheesy Potato and Leek Pie)

How to make the classic British recipe homity pie (cheesy potato and leek pie!) – a tasty vegetarian pie made with shortcrust pastry.

Course Main Course

Cuisine British, English

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 50

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1 30

Servings people

Calories 427kcal

Author Becca Heyes