Swiss Chard Gratin
Serve swiss chard gratin as is, as an accompaniment to meat, or with a couple of poached or fried eggs on top. Protip: Try baking this alongside our blueberry crisp.
Servings: 8
Calories: 273kcal
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large shallot finely diced
- 5 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 pounds (900 grams) chard, any variety
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt divided
- 2 tablespoons (28 grams) butter
- 2 tablespoons (15 grams) flour
- 2 ½ cups (590 ml) whole milk
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups (200 grams) shredded Gruyere cheese, divided
- ½ cup (60 grams) grated parmesan or pecorino
- ½ cup (60 grams) breadcrumbs (fresh, dried, or panko)
Instructions
Prepare and cook the chard
- Preheat the oven to 375° Fahrenheit with a rack in the center.
- Slice the chard leaves and stems crosswise into 1 ½-inch ribbons (for the leaves) and pieces (for the lower stems). Wash the chard and drain in a colander but do not dry.
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven or wide, shallow pot with a tight-fitting lid. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for a few minutes, until softened but not browned.
- Add the chard, in batches if necessary, along with ½ teaspoon of the salt.
- Cover the pot tightly and steam the chard until it has wilted and reduced to less than half its original volume.
- Drain the chard in a colander, pressing out excess liquid.
Make the sauce
- Melt the butter in the same pan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, for a minute or so, until foamy but not browned.
- Pour in the milk all at once. Add the rosemary, thyme, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and the pepper.
- Raise the heat to high and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to maintain a vigorous simmer and cook, whisking frequently, until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in 1½ cups of the Gruyere cheese.
- Add the sautéed chard mixture to the sauce and stir to combine thoroughly.
Assemble and bake the gratin
- Pour chard and sauce into a baking dish if using, or simply spread it evenly. Sprinkle the remaining Gruyere, the parmesan or pecorino, and the breadcrumbs evenly over top.
- Bake for about 45 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly, the cheese is melted and the topping is nicely browned.
Video
Notes
- If you have a stovetop-to-oven pan with a lid, you can use that for the whole process. If not, you can cook the chard and sauce in any large lidded pot or pan and transfer the gratin to a baking dish before transferring to the oven.
- I've called for shallot, but you can use a yellow onion instead if that's what you've got.
- This recipe calls for a full two pounds of chard. You can use any variety: Swiss, rainbow, red — whichever you have on hand. You can even substitute some or all of the chard for other leafy greens. Try kale, collards, mustard greens, or turnip greens. If using kale or collards, omit the stems.
- If you like, when draining the chard, set the colander over a large bowl and reserve the liquid to add to a broth-based soup.
- Gruyere pairs beautifully with chard and with the velvety, herb-flecked béchamel. But if you prefer, you can substitute a milder (and less expensive) Swiss cheese or even cheddar. Traditional gruyere is made with animal rennet, so if it's important to you that this recipe is vegetarian, you'll need to seek out a vegetarian brand.
- For breadcrumbs, you can use fresh, dried, or panko. To make this recipe gluten-free, substitute GF breadcrumbs.
Nutrition
Calories: 273kcal | Carbohydrates: 13.9g | Protein: 15.2g | Fat: 18.2g | Fiber: 2.7g