Italian Stuffed Collard Greens (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Key Components
01 -
A large pot filled with salty boiling water (use 1 Tbsp salt)
02 -
A 16 oz jar of tomato marinara sauce
03 -
Around 10-12 collard green leaves, bundled together
→ Stuffing Ingredients
04 -
1 pound chicken sausage with casings taken off
05 -
Half a cup of small, chopped-up sweet onion
06 -
Three garlic cloves, finely minced
07 -
1 1/2 cups of fully cooked brown rice (start with 3/4 cup uncooked)
08 -
1 1/2 cups of part-skim shredded mozzarella with low moisture
09 -
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
10 -
1/4 cup of chopped-up fresh basil leaves
# Instructions:
01 -
Drop the leaves into a hot pot of salted water and boil for 3 minutes till they're just soft. Drain and rinse with cold water, then carefully lay them flat so they don't rip apart.
02 -
Cook 3/4 cup of uncooked brown rice using the directions on the package. You'll end up with about 1 1/2 cups of cooked rice.
03 -
In a skillet on medium heat, brown the sausage and onions together. Stir in the garlic and cook for one more minute before taking the skillet off the heat. Let it cool for around 20 minutes before moving on.
04 -
In the cooled skillet, stir together the sausage, onion mix, rice, mozzarella, basil, and parmesan. Blend it all until the mix is spread evenly.
05 -
Use marinara sauce to coat the bottom of your baking dish. Take 1/3-1/2 cup of the sausage-rice stuffing, wrap it in a collard green leaf, roll it snugly, and place each in the dish.
06 -
Wrap the top of your dish with foil and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 35-40 minutes. Let it cool for 5 minutes before serving.
# Notes:
01 -
Allowing the rice and sausage mixture to cool helps keep the cheese from melting too soon.
02 -
Handle the collard greens gently while rolling to avoid ripping the leaves.