Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

baked greens and onions au gratin

Recipe by
Kathleen Hagood
Gorman, TX

These aren't my mama's greens. That's no disrespect to mama since I absolutely love a pot of greens just like she makes, but this year, with all of the rain we had in Texas, greens were about all of the vegetables that made in my garden, so I was growing weary of the same old pot of greens. Therefore, I came up with this recipe after I had baked some spaghetti squash au gratin, and I thought, "why not?" Make this with whatever greens you have, but I had Swiss chard and beet greens in my garden. These are so cheesy and good that green naysayers just might be tempted by them.

yield 3 serving(s)
prep time 15 Min
cook time 25 Min
method Bake

Ingredients For baked greens and onions au gratin

  • olive oil cooking spray
  • 3 c
    very packed when measuring, greens with tough stems removed (swiss chard, kale, mustard, beet greens, or any kind of greens)
  • 1 c
    fresh onion, sliced and then separated into individual rings
  • 1 clove
    garlic, minced
  • 1/2 c
    scant measurement, cream
  • 1 1/3 c
    grated parmesan cheese (separate 1 cup from the 1/3 cup)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • OPTIONAL ADDITIONS
  • spaghetti squash, yellow or zucchini squash, potatoes, or other vegetables can be added; spaghetti squash adds nice texture; if adding spaghetti squash, bake the squash first; if adding potatoes, adjust the baking time.

How To Make baked greens and onions au gratin

  • 1
    Be sure greens are washed well and remove tough stems. This can be done ahead of time.
  • 2
    Begin with a shallow dish sprayed with olive oil spray, (mine was 8X6 inch but 8X8 would work too). Layer 2 cups (tightly packed cups) of greens in the bottom of the dish. Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle 1/3 cup of parmesan over this and then pour on 1/2 cup of cream. The cream will sink to the bottom.
  • 3
    On top of this, layer most of the cup of fresh onion cut into ringlets. Also, add all of the minced garlic. Then repeat with the last cup of packed greens, the rest of the onions and a bit more salt and pepper. You can always salt more later if needed, but if you oversalt, you can't undo it. Carefully, top with the cup of grated parmesan cheese, and bake 20-25 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven. (It will be very full if using an 8X6 inch pan, but it cooks down.)
  • 4
    Note: Prep time will be reduced greatly if you don't have to wash freshly picked greens like I had to do.
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