Tuscan Bean Casserole

It seems that my Tuscan Vegetable Bean Soup was a hit so I decided to go for a vegetarian casserole with similar flavours.  We`re all deep into the comfort foods now but there is no reason why they can`t be healthy.  This one brings you lots of protein and all the nutritious properties of kale, too. This was such an easy dish to make.  I always tell people who are afraid to cook that a lot of recipes are just a matter of assembling ingredients and this one doesn`t require much more than that.  A little sautéing here and a bit of boiling kale there and you`ve got yourself a casserole. This recipe was inspired by a dish at bhg.com but I`ve made several changes.  I`ve left out the prosciutto because I don`t eat pork but feel free to add it if you want the salty crunchiness.   I also added shiitake mushrooms and used panko instead of regular bread crumbs.  And, of course you know what I`m going to say about the need for fresh herbs so I won`t say it again because I`m sure you`ve had enough, ha! I added some seared halloumi cheese to replace the saltiness of  the prosciutto but if you want to keep it vegan and dairy-free, skip this part.  I seared the cheese just after the casserole came out of the oven and added it at the end.  I thought it would be too gooey if I put it in the oven. If you can get them, please use fire-roasted tomatoes.  They add that wonderfully smoky flavour to soups and casseroles.  I think this could be a very versatile casserole and you could add chicken, turkey sausage, pasta, or brown rice if you wanted to stretch it or have family members that need a little more in their meal.  I found it very satisfying as is but I get that people like their meat in order for it to feel like dinner.  Cheers!