Kale Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Pecorino Cheese
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
I had a conversation with a girlfriend recently. She decided to give a man a chance that maybe in another season in her life wouldn’t have been considered. As she talked about his qualities, she realized that nice matters more, honesty matters more, and decency matters more. I call it that moment where maturity grabs at what is life giving. I think this is what drew me to kale when in another season in my life, I passed it over. Now I want it every day several times a week.
I methodically purchase two bunches of kale every week. Today it finds mashed potatoes. Not just any mashed potatoes. Last year I gave you my no-lump perfect mashed potato recipe and it’s a no fail winner. I use a ricer, which is a must (and a cheap kitchen tool) and I also lay out some extra tips for mashed potato perfection in that post that are not included here.
I prefer the Lacinato kale, also known as dinosaur kale, but if you can’t get that, the curly kale is fine too. Don’t confuse kale with spinach, as spinach will saute down to nothing, but kale stays fairly firm and more substantial, another reason I love it.
This is also a good way to doctor up those left over mashed potatoes from a holiday meal.
If you are looking for more delicious, tested in my kitchen kale recipes, you might want to make this Tuscan kale salad with almonds, this kale and green olive frittata or if you like runny eggs as much as I do, pair poached eggs with kale and get major, healthy deliciousness.
So tell me, have you adventured beyond kale chips and discovered the beauty of this sturdy green?
Kale Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Pecorino Cheese
Ingredients
- olive oil for cooking kale and for drizzling
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 bunch of kale with ribs removed, chopped
- 2 pounds white potatoes peeled (some love yukon golds for a creamier texture.
- 2-4 tablespoons butter
- 6-8 tablespoons whole milk
- salt ground white pepper
- dash nutmeg
- 1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino cheese
Instructions
- Saute garlic in olive oil in small frying pan, just until golden. Add in kale and saute turning frequently until wilted. Set aside.
- Peel potatoes, and cut into quarters and cut again. Rinse in cold water. Put just enough cold water in pan to cover potatoes by two inches.
- Add teaspoons salt. Bring to boil and then simmer until fork tender. (This is good time to saute kale).
- Drain and put back into pot and add butter. Season with salt and pepper. Scald milk.
- Smash potatoes with fork or old fashioned masher tool and add a few tablespoons of hot milk and three tablespoons of the butter. Mix with a wooden spoon.
- Take through the ricer and return to the pan. Turn the heat on low and add the rest of the milk a little at a time and use wooden spoon to stir.
- Add nutmeg. Stir again. Add in last tablespoons of butter and pecorino cheese.
- Taste and season again with salt and pepper if necessary.
- Add in sauteed kale.
- Serve with drizzle of olive oil.
Please follow me on instagram. If you make this recipe, please tag me #spinachtiger.
If you love this recipe, please give it five stars. It means a lot. xoxo
My Most Popular Kale Dishes
Kale Salad with Golden Raisins, Maple Pecans
Perfect Potluck Autumn Salad with Kale, Cranberries, Sweet Potatoes
This is a good addition to my kale recipes. Thanks for sharing. I can’t wait to try this one.
You’re very welcome!
I am with you on Kale. Never wanted it and now I cannot live with out it. I like this recipe…must try it soon….
Angela, this reminds me very much of a dish I beg Wouter to make every few months. A mash of potatoes, kale. butter and cheese. It is a traditional Dutch dish which has lots of my favorite foods. I really like your discovery of kale and love the Pecorino addition. Happy Holiday this coming week.
Yes indeed, I’ve been eating a good deal of kale lately as well, I made a salad and braised it and made it into soup too.
Pecorino is a very clever cheese to add to mashed potatoes. Kale and garlic sure do bring this simple staple to the next level!
Printing this one right now–it’s making me hungry just to read it. Thank you for good vegetarian recipes!
Love the analogy between kale and relationships in first paragraph.
I enjoy kale too but I think it’s only recently because it was not a readily available vegetable in local markets before a couple of years ago.
I share your love for kale – and this is a new way I’ll be using it.
This looks wonderful! I, too, only discovered how amazing kale is fairly recently + now I could eat it every day. I bet I’d love these mashed potatoes with kale – totally my type of side dish.
This combination is mouthwatering!
Cheers,
Rosa