Chicken and Kale Casserole

I can't believe I have not posted this recipe yet! I made it almost two months ago and had totally forgotten about it.  I am a hug fan of casseroles or any dish that can be prepared ahead of time.  That way I can cook at nap-time then at dinner all I have to do is pop it in the oven.  This dish makes alot, I separated it into two dishes and brought half to my sister in law who had just had a baby.  If you buy a rotisserie chicken this is super easy to make.  Not many ingredients but they all pair together really well.  I love the addition of the lemon in it, it adds such a nice unexpected flavor.  Plus since there is kale in it you are getting a serving of leafy green veggies for the day.   I of course had to tweak the recipe by adding more cheese- everything tastes better with extra cheese!
This is such a great weekend night meal! 
Enjoy!

|| C H I C K E N   A N D  K A L E  C A S S E R O L E ||

Recipe adapted via Martha Stewart

INGREDIENTS

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3/4 pound large pasta shells
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 large yellow onion, diced medium
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 bunches kale (1 1/2 pounds), tough stems and ribs removed, leaves coarsely chopped
• 2 cups shredded or chopped cooked chicken (I used rotisserie chicken)
• 1 container (28 ounces) part-skim ricotta
• 3 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
• 3/4 cup Parmesan, grated 
•  1 Container Cottage Cheese
• 1 cup grated mozzarella
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Step 1

   Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain; return to pot. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high. Add onion and garlic; cook until onion is beginning to soften, 4 minutes. Add kale, cover, and cook until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to pot with pasta.

2. Step 2

   Stir in chicken, ricotta, cottage cheese, lemon zest, and 1/2 cup Parmesan, and mozzarella; season with salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; top with 1/4 cup Parmesan. Bake until top is golden, 30 minutes.