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Greens Casserole with Mozzarella

A baked casserole of collard greens, cheese sauce, and mozzarella.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 11 ingredients
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Why it works: Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,093 recipes. Both carry ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, which smells fruity, apple. The science ↓

Greens Casserole with Mozzarella

Oven375°F
Time20 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the greens

  1. Butter a medium baking dish and preheat oven to 375°F.

  2. Cut out and discard the tough stems off the greens.

  3. Cut out thick center ribs.

  4. Rinse all the greens and shake off any excess water then chop into pieces.

  5. In large skillet cook greens over low heat adding them by handfuls and stirring them down as they wilt.

  6. Add ½ cup of water if the greens seem dry then cover skillet and braise 15 minutes.

  7. Pour off any liquid left in the skillet and season greens with salt and pepper.

  8. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Make the cheese sauce

  1. Heat broth and half and half in a saucepan just until bubbles form around the edge of the pan.

  2. In the large skillet melt butter over low heat.

  3. Add flour and cook stirring constantly for one minute.

  4. Add hot broth mixture all at once and stir over medium heat until sauce is smooth and thickened.

  5. Whisk in the grated Parmesan and ricotta.

Assemble and bake

  1. Stir greens into the cheese sauce and pour mixture into prepared baking dish.

  2. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and sprinkle grated mozzarella over the top.

  3. Bake 20 minutes.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

1159Calories
73 gProtein
46 gFat
107 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 10 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Ricotta Cheese1/2 cup (124g) part-skim174
Chicken100g cooked165
Parmesan Cheese1 oz (28g)110
Butter1 tbsp (14g)102
Mozzarella Cheese1 oz (28g)85
Cream1 tbsp (15ml) heavy51
Collard Greens1 cup (36g) raw11
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Salt1 tsp (6g)0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Parmesan cheese + mozzarella cheesetop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together1,093 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).

  2. Butter + breadtop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together27,232 recipes

    Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).

  3. Butter + parmesan cheesetop 9% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together4,163 recipes

    Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).

  4. Ricotta cheese + mozzarella cheesetop 9% of all pairs
    Smell alikelow
    Cooked together371 recipes

    Shared aroma: myrcene (balsamic, herbaceous).

  5. Butter + mozzarella cheesetop 12% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together547 recipes

    Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Collard greens
Provide the main bulk and earthy flavor of the casserole.
Butter
Adds richness and flavor to the roux and helps the sauce feel silky.
Flour
Thickens the broth and half and half into a smooth, stable sauce.
Half and half
Adds creaminess and body to the sauce.
Parmesan cheese
Adds savory flavor and helps the sauce thicken and brown on top.
Mozzarella cheese
Melts over the top and browns in the oven for a golden crust.

The step that matters

Thickening the cheese sauce. Flour must be cooked briefly in the butter and the hot liquid added all at once while stirring. This prevents lumps and lets the starch thicken the sauce evenly before the cheeses are added.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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