Baked Kale with Gruyère

I am always on the lookout for new kale recipes to try. I found this one on the Food and Wine website while perusing for healthier Thanksgiving recipes. Kale is sauteed with onions, garlic and shallots and then baked with a scatter of gooey cheese and crisp bread on top. The sweet onions and crunchy croutons work wonders in balancing out the bitterness of the kale. My family liked this dish alot and I'm sure we will be making this again soon. 

Baked Kale & Gruyere Cheese
adapted from Food and Wine

Ingredients
One 4-ounce piece of sourdough bread, crusts removed, bread torn into 1/2-inch pieces (2 cups)
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium shallot, minced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1 1/2 pounds kale, large stems discarded, leaves chopped
1 teaspoon chopped thyme leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/4 cups shredded Gruyère cheese

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the bread on a baking sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Bake for 8 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Let the croutons cool on the baking sheet.


In a large, deep skillet, heat the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil. Add the shallot, onion and garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 7 minutes. Add the kale, cover and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the thyme and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the kale to an 8-by-10-inch glass baking dish.
  
Scatter the cheese over the kale and top with the croutons. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and the croutons are golden. Let stand for 5 minutes, then serve.