Cheesy Kale Rice Casserole
Plus a history of loving each other through food
Homo Erectus probably started to use and control fire around 1 million years ago, and the oldest evidence of cooking goes back 780,000 years ago. It wasn’t a solitary cavewoman laboring away at a fire that was meant only for her, her chosen mate, and her offspring; it was the whole damn community, hunting, cooking and eating together.
It wasn’t until much more recently in human history that we started cooking by ourselves and only for ourselves. By the 1800s, rapid industrialization and urbanization made home cooking affordable enough for the middle class. Coupled with a cultural shift towards privacy, families started cooking and eating in the home. Inns and taverns, where guests and staff ate the same meal at the same time for a set price, became restaurants where you could walk in whenever you wanted and order an a la carte dish.
I’m not one of those people that thinks “modern world=bad.” I love not dying from a cut, all the world’s knowledge in my pocket, high index lenses for my astigmatism, Stardew Valley, pet insurance, and that strawberries and cream flavored Diet Dr. Pepper, but there’s a lot we could stand to learn from our brave and strong prehistoric ancestors.
Cooking for each other is one of the best ways to share community, and to love and be loved. Dropping a casserole off at a friend’s house, or bring a plate over for a neighbor are all ways you can get back in touch with humanity’s communal food roots. If you’re looking for a start, this casserole goes HARD as hell and is a great comfort for someone going through a tough time, even if that person is you and the tough time is a particularly hard week at work.
Cheesy Kale Rice Casserole
Makes a big ol’ 9x13 casserole. Will feed 6-8 as a hearty side and is great with tofu (or chicken) cutlets! A note- if you’re planning on mixing the ingredients in the casserole dish to save yourself some clean up, just don’t. You’ll get rice and sauce all over the damn place and you’ll be mad. Just get a big bowl, okay?
Ingredients
2 c. dry white rice
1 tbs butter (for the rice)
3 c. water
1 tbsp oil (for sautéing the veggies)
1/2 white onion
1 large leek
3 c. chopped kale
3 tbs butter
3 tbs flour
4 c. milk (plant milk works well too)
2 tbsp mustard
Pinch of chili flakes
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp garlic powder
1.5 c. white cheddar, shredded
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste throughout the cooking process
Optional crumb topping
1/3 sleeve of club crackers
smidge of melted butter
1/4 c. crushed pistachios
Process
Start the rice; rinse 2 c. of dry, white rice, and add with 3 c. of cold water after rinsing to a saucepan. Add a pat of butter and a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Put a lid on and reduce heat to medium low. Let simmer for 12-14 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the lid on for another 10 minutes. Set aside.
While you’re making the rice, rinse and chop your kale and slice the leek lengthwise, chopping off the root end and the tough leafy parts on top. Rinse well between the layers to get all the sand out.
Add your chopped kale to a big bowl.
Slice the onion into thin pieces.
Heat up a pan with 1 tbsp oil. Add onions and leeks and sauté on medium until the onions are softened, around 8-10 minutes. Salt and pepper and set aside in your giant mixing bowl.
The rice is likely done by now, add it to the big bowl as well.
Now you’re going to make the sauce. A lot of casserole recipes use 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup in lieu of a roux sauce- if that’s your jam, hell yeah, do your thing honey.
To make your roux, add 3 tbsp butter to a saucepan on low. Let melt and add 3 tbsp flour. Stir until combined and let cook on low for 5 minutes. The mixture will start to smell “bready.”
Slowly add milk, 1/2 c. at a time, whisking vigorously to get the lumps out. Once you’ve added all the milk, continue to stir until the mixture starts to thicken up. It takes longer if you’re using a non-dairy milk, but it still will happen. Take care to scrape the bottom so a film doesn’t form.
Once the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, add salt, pepper, mustard, chili flakes, paprika, nutmeg, and garlic powder. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Turn off the heat and add the cheese. Stir until melted. Add sauce to the rice/kale/veggie mixture in the mixing bowl. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Add apple cider vinegar. Stir to combine.
Butter or grease a 9x13 casserole dish. Add the rice mixture and while the oven is preheating, prepare your crumble topping.
Put 1/3 of a sleeve of crackers into a baggie with pistachios. Hit with a hammer or rolling pin until everything is crushed. Add to a bit of melted butter and stir until all the crumbs are coated. Sprinkle on top of the casserole.
Cook for 25 minutes; the crumble should be browned and the sauce should be bubbling. Enjoy!