Parmesan Crusted Kale Grilled Cheese

Name: Parmesan Crusted Kale Grilled Cheese
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 1
Ingredients: 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar; 1 tbsp. brown sugar; 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes; 2 tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese; 1 tbsp. butter, softened; 1 (6-oz.) bunch Lacinato kale; 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil; 2 garlic cloves, sliced; Kosher salt; Freshly ground black pepper; 2 large slices bread, such as sourdough; 3 oz. sliced or shredded Swiss, such as Jarslberg

By Lena AbrahamPublished: Mar 12, 2021

Approved by the Delish Test Kitchen

2 Ratings

grilled cheese cut in half, loaded with melty white cheese and braised kale

Lucy Schaeffer

Yields:

Prep Time:

5 mins

Total Time:

5 mins

Jump to recipe

Yep, you read that right, there's an ENTIRE bunch of kale in this grilled cheese. Thanks to a quick braise in sweet and spicy apple cider vinegar, it reduces considerably, transforming into dark lacquered greens with just the right amount of tang. Paired with creamy Swiss cheese, this grown-up sandwich seamlessly satisfies your cravings for bread and cheese and your need for nutrients.

Oh, and the parm-crusted exterior? It's surprisingly easy to achieve if you've got a well-seasoned skillet or a nonstick pan. As the parmesan melts into a golden crust, it will begin to release from the pan naturally. Use a rubber flipping spatula to quickly and firmly get under the bread in a straight-forward motion.

(P.S. For a less kale-y, 2 serving version, double your bread and cheese and split the braised kale between two sandwiches.)

Made this? Let us know how it went in the comment section below!

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Ingredients

2 Tbsp.
apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp.
brown sugar
1/4 tsp.
crushed red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp.
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp.
butter, softened
1
(6-oz.) bunch Lacinato kale
1 Tbsp.
extra-virgin olive oil
2
garlic cloves, sliced
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2
large slices bread, such as sourdough
3 oz.
sliced or shredded Swiss, such as Jarslberg

Directions

1. Step 1In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, sugar, and red pepper flakes until sugar is fully dissolved.
2. Step 2In another small bowl, stir to combine parmesan and butter. Strip kale leaves from stems, then tear or chop leaves into small bite-sized pieces.
3. Step 3In a large skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, 1 minute. Add kale and cook until bright green and slightly wilted, 2 minutes more. Pour vinegar mixture over kale and cook, stirring frequently, until kale is dark green and has shrunk considerably in size, 4 to 6 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then transfer cooked kale to a bowl and wipe skillet clean.
4. Step 4Spread one side of each slice of bread with softened butter mixture. Build sandwich: add half the cheese to the unbuttered side of one slice of bread, then top with kale, remaining cheese, and remaining slice of bread, buttered side out.
5. Step 5Heat skillet over medium heat and add sandwich. Cook until bread is golden and cheese is melty on the lower half of the sandwich 2 to 4 minutes, then flip and cook until the other side is golden and melty, 1 to 3 minutes more.