Crunchy Leek and Greens Gratin

Please don’t panic at the amount of vegetables I am asking you to cook for this (about 2 pounds of leeks, about 1 pound of kale/leafy greens), because it will look like a lot. An improbable amount of things to fit into a baking dish. But the leeks, they melt. The greens, they wilt. The cream, it reduces. Everything will fit into a 1.5–2 quart baking dish, which could mean a cast iron, cake pan, pyrex, or any oven-safe baking dish, really. I like parmesan, but pecorino, gruyere, or sharp white cheddar are other perfect choices. This is one of a few things that should be hot, so it’ll be one of the last things to go into the oven (it can bake while your turkey rests).

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

1. Heat ¼ cup olive oil in your largest skillet or heavy bottomed pot over medium–high heat. Add leeks and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until the leeks are bright green and totally tender, almost melty, 10–15 minutes (they shouldn’t get any color, but if they do, that’s okay).

Step 2

2. Working with one handful at a time, add some kale and season with salt and pepper. Stir and let wilt between additions, repeating until you’ve added all the kale and it’s nice and wilted, 5–8 minutes.

Step 3

3. Add crushed red pepper flakes if using, followed by heavy cream. Let the cream bubble up around the edges and use a spatula to scrape up any brown bits that may have formed while cooking the leeks and kale. Remove from heat, stir in the cheese and transfer everything to a 2-quart baking dish (you can do this part ahead of time, even a day or two; just cover and refrigerate until ready to top with bread crumbs and bake).

Step 4

4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 425°. Combine bread crumbs and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper and toss until crumbs are thoroughly saturated and evenly mixed. Scatter over leek and greens and bake until bread crumbs are golden brown and everything below is bubbling nicely around the edges, 15–20 minutes. Remove from oven and serve.

Step 5

DO AHEAD: The leek and greens mixture can be made the day before, if you must (wrap it tightly so it doesn’t dry out). Same with bread crumb mixture. I wouldn’t bake it till you’re nearly ready to eat, though.

Step 6

LEFTOVERS: Weirdly great cold? Also just a regular re-warm will do the trick here. If you have a microwave, great. If not, transfer the leftovers into a size-appropriate oven-safe container and heat in a 350° oven.