It's as if the recipe creators at Women's Day magazine decide to create this recipe exclusively for The Sweets Life, knowing it would entice me by including several of my favorite ingredients in one dish. In truth, it missed a few of my favorites, but I made a few simple changes that made it a near perfect recipe in my book!

For one, I swapped out the yukon gold potato for a sweet potato. If you've read this blog for any length of time you know I have quite an obsession with the orange starch! Additionally, I used goat cheese instead of provolone...because goat cheese makes everything better.
Thanks to Ile de France cheese, I had a log of goat cheese in my refrigerator begging to be used in a new recipe. Including it in this torte turned out to be a wonderful solution for some of the cheese--I loved how the creamy cheese paired with the bite of the kale and the chew of the squash and potatoes. I made this torte when Ryan was away on business and secretly enjoyed the fact that I didn't have to share it with anyone...you know a meal is good when you wake up looking forward to your leftovers for dinner!

Guess what? Ile de France wants to offer five of you the chance to win your own cheese prize pack, as pictured below. I was most impressed with their goat cheese--which is included in the prize pack along with a few other cheeses, like their brie (which I've also heard good things about!). I'm not going to lie--I'm pretty jealous of the five of you that'll win!

For a chance to win, you can do one (or both) of the following:
1. Leave a comment on this post telling me which type of Ile de France cheese you'd most like to sample.
2. Head on over to my Facebook page and leave a comment on my wall with your favorite way to eat/use goat cheese!


Got that? Each person has the option of entering two times. The giveaway is open until Tuesday, November 22nd at 8 pm central. I'll select 2 winners from the comments on this post and 3 winners from my Facebook page, to be announced in the post on the 23rd! Thanks Ile de France for spreading the cheese love! GIVEAWAY CLOSED! 

Whether or not you win, I suggest you give this recipe a try! The original also called for a tomato in the layers which I bought but didn't use because my pan got too full! The layers sunk a bit when baking so I probably could have added it but it was delicious as is. Serve with crusty bread, as Women's Day recommended, for a main meal or as a vegetable side dish with a protein like some roasted chicken.

One Year Ago: Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Walnuts
Two Years Ago: Rosemary Bread


Butternut Squash and Kale Torte
adapted from Women's Day November 2011


Ingredients:
-1 tbsp olive oil, plus more for the pan
-1/2 small butternut squash (about 1 lb), thinly siced
-1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
-1 small bunch of kale, thick stems discarded and leaves cut into 1-inch pieces
-kosher salt and pepper
-1 medium sweet potato, thinly sliced
-2-4 oz. goat cheese
-1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 425F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan. Arrange half of the butternut squash in the bottom of the pan, covering as completely as possible.
2. Top with half of the onion, separating the rings. Add half of the kale, drizzling with 1/2 tbsp olive oil and season with 1/4 tsp salt. Top with the sweet potato slices and the goat cheese.
3. Top cheese with remaining kale and drizzle with 1/2 tbsp olive oil plus 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Top with remaining onion followed by the squash. Sprinkle with the Parmesan.
4. Cover with foil, place on a baking sheet, and bake covered for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 8-10 minutes, until vegetables are tender and the top begins to brown.