Risotto-Stuffed Collard Greens and Bacon

By ldelmas

Serves 10-12

Ingredients

• Collard greens:
• 12 oz thick-cut bacon, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 4-1/2 cups chicken broth, hot
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 lb collard greens, stalks removed
• Sauce:
• 1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce
• 2 (14.5-oz) cans petite diced tomatoes
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Preparation

Step 1

Cook bacon over medium heat until it begins to crisp in a 4-quart sauté pan. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until onions are translucent. Add the rice and cook another minute. Ladle in 1/3 of the hot stock, bring the mixture to a simmer, and continuously stir until the stock is absorbed. Repeat with remaining stock. Stir in Parmesan, butter, thyme, salt, and pepper. Spread the risotto out on a baking sheet and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.
While the risotto is chilling, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add half of the collards to the pot and cook for 1 minute. Remove the greens from the pot with tongs and place them into a dry bowl. Repeat with the remaining collards.
Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a separate bowl. Spread about 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of a deep 9" x 13" baking dish.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Working with one collard leaf at a time (or if small, two leaves overlapped) place about 1/4 cup of the risotto in the center of a leaf. Fold up the base of the leaf over the filling, fold in the edges, and roll it up tightly. Place the roll, seam-side-down in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining leaves and risotto. Spoon the remaining sauce over the rolls. Cover and bake for 1 hour.