Wild Rice Gratin with Kale, Caramelized Onions, & Baby Swiss

This is nutty, bubbly, cheesy, and full of all the good things. A great winter comfort food. It takes a bit of love (and time) but is not hard to assemble. Cooking the rice and the onions at the same time worked out beautifully for the rice I happened to pick because they were done at the same time. Definitely give this one a try. It makes a great main dish or you could serve it as a side with roasted chicken or pork chops.

From Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:
~5 cups cooked wild rice (10.5 ounces uncooked)
~2 cups coarsely grated Emmentaler cheese (Emmentaler is a type of Swiss. I found it at ALDI)
~2 tbs. unsalted butter
~3/4 cup chicken stock
~1 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs
~salt
~freshly ground black pepper

Caramelized Onions:
~1 tbs. butter
~1 tbs. olive oil
~2 large sweet onions, halved and sliced super thin
~1/2 tsp. salt
~freshly ground black pepper
~4 cups stemmed kale leaves, cut into ribbons

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Cook rice according to package directions.
3. To caramelize the onions, heat the butter and olive oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until tender and browned, about 30 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
4. Add kale ribbons and cook until they wilt slightly, about 5 minutes.
5. Stir in the wild rice and 1 cup of cheese into the kale and onion mixture. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if needed.
6. Generously coat a 2-quart baking dish with butter. Spread the wild rice mixture into the dish and pour chicken broth over it. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
7. Toss breadcrumbs with 1 tbs. melted butter and a pinch of salt and pepper. Spread over the cheese.
8. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a little bubbly and beginning to brown on top.