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Easy Spring Greens Swiss Chard Gratin

May 27, 2016 By justalittlebitofbacon 6 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link. Click here for details.

I love this easy chard gratin, which is just packed full of Swiss chard and turnip greens and spinach! The greens taste almost creamy even though there is no cream in this recipe, and the crispy breadcrumb topping provides an excellent contrast to the soft greens. This will take a little while in the oven, but you can make it in one oven-safe skillet and have only one pot to clean.

Easy Swiss Chard Gratin - This easy chard gratin is all about the greens as they are cooked in milk and then topped with breadcrumbs and a handful of parmesan. This a great gratin for when you have more greens than you know what to do with - chard, kale, turnip greens, beet greens, spinach. Try a mix of different greens! | justalittlebitofbacon.com

Hello, all!

Spring farmer’s markets are all about the greens!

Actually, summer and fall farmer’s markets are all full of greens too, though the offerings will be more balanced with other fruits and vegetables.  And of course you’ll see the heartier greens at winter farmer’s markets.

Let’s face it, if you are shopping at local farms, you are going to see a lot of greens, and, if you are doing a CSA, you are guaranteed to be drowning in them frequently. Bunches of kale and chard. The tops of radishes and beets and turnips. Bags of spinach. So many greens!

That’s why it’s important to have a few recipes you can pull out to use up a mound of them. Something beyond salads and simple sautes. Not that I don’t love mixed greens salads (especially with the baby chard and baby kale!) or a quick saute to go with my main dish, but it’s nice to mix it up don’t you think?

Easy Swiss Chard Gratin - This easy chard gratin is all about the greens as they are cooked in milk and then topped with breadcrumbs and a handful of parmesan. This a great gratin for when you have more greens than you know what to do with - chard, kale, turnip greens, beet greens, spinach. Try a mix of different greens! | justalittlebitofbacon.com

And certainly when I want to cook a vegetable, I often think of gratins. I have a whole pile of them here on the site! Sometimes wintery gratins like my Cauliflower Gratin with Horseradish Sauce or my Easy Brussels Sprouts Gratin, but I also love ones that work as summer sides, like my Sunny Yellow Squash and Potato Gratin. In fact, I love gratins so much I made a little collection of all my gratins. Have a vegetable and I might just have a gratin for that vegetable. (Tomato gratin is here!)

Have a vegetable and I don’t have a gratin? I am open to gratin-y requests. šŸ™‚

gratin collection

For my chard gratin here today, I took inspiration from Alice Waters’ The Art of Simple Food.

I really like how she kept the greens in front in the recipe by not drowning them in cream and cheese, instead just using a little flour and milk. My waistline also likes this! However, I did want to streamline the process a bit by steaming the greens right in my skillet, and then – when I’m not making this for photos – just slipping the skillet right in the oven. One baking pan and one skillet is the way to go.

And I decided to make the most of use of my local farms by including a mixture of some of the greens I found when I stopped by – Swiss chard, turnip greens, and spinach. I also thought that a little garlic and a handful or two of parmesan finished off the dish nicely.

I hope you think so too!

Easy Swiss Chard Gratin - This easy chard gratin is all about the greens as they are cooked in milk and then topped with breadcrumbs and a handful of parmesan. This a great gratin for when you have more greens than you know what to do with - chard, kale, turnip greens, beet greens, spinach. Try a mix of different greens! | justalittlebitofbacon.com

If you try my recipe for Easy Chard Gratin, I would love to hear from you in the comments with your experience and rating! And I’m happy to answer any questions you might have.

You can connect with me by subscribing to my emails (see the form in the sidebar or below the recipe card), liking my FACEBOOK page, or by following me on PINTEREST.

– Happy Eating, Annemarie

Easy Swiss Chard Gratin - This easy chard gratin is all about the greens as they are cooked in milk and then topped with breadcrumbs and a handful of parmesan. This a great gratin for when you have more greens than you know what to do with - chard, kale, turnip greens, beet greens, spinach. Try a mix of different greens! | justalittlebitofbacon.com
Print Recipe
5 from 3 votes

Easy Swiss Chard Gratin

This easy gratin is all about the greens as they are cooked in milk and then topped with breadcrumbs and a handful of parmesan. This a great gratin for when you have more greens than you know what to do with - chard, kale, turnip greens, beet greens, spinach. Try a mix of different greens!
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time1 hr
Total Time1 hr 15 mins
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: French
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 225kcal
Author: justalittlebitofbacon

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter, divided, half with the bread crumbs, half with the greens
  • 2 cups fresh bread crumbs
  • 1 1/2 lbs Swiss chard, or a mix with turnip greens, beet greens, kale, spinach
  • 2 shallots, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 3/4 cup whole milk
  • 2 oz parmesan cheese, shredded

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 350F.
  • Make the Bread Crumbs: Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and toss it with the bread crumbs. Spread out the bread crumbs on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10, stirring occasionally, until golden brown.
  • Prepare the Greens: Wash the greens you are using well to make sure to rinse off all the dirt.
  • For chard, fold each leaf in half and stem the chard, cutting the stem off of the leaves. Cut the leaves into 1/2 inch slices and also chop up the top half of the stem (discarding the tough bottom part). Reserve the chopped chard stems for the next step.
  • If using other types of greens, cut off the stems if they are long and then cut the leaves in 1/2 inch slices.
  • Saute the Greens: In a large skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over low heat.
  • Add the reserved chard stems, shallots, garlic, and salt. Gently saute the onion and garlic until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.
  • Add the chopped greens, cover the skillet and steam for 15 minutes, or until the greens are tender and wilted.
  • Add the flour to the skillet and stir to combine. Then pour the milk over and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 5 minutes to thicken the milk.
  • Bake the Gratin: If you are using an oven safe skillet, leave the greens in the pan. If not, transfer the mixture to a casserole dish. Either way top the greens with the toasted bread crumbs and then sprinkle the parmesan on top.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes, until browned and bubbling. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve.

Notes

  • Recipe Inspiration: This recipe was inspired by Alice Waters' Swiss Chard Gratin in The Art of Simple Food.
  • Bread Crumbs: If you don't have any bread to make fresh breadcrumbs, use 1 cup dried bread crumbs.
  • Greens: I used one bunch of swiss chard, one bunch of white turnip greens, and one bunch of baby spinach greens. You will have a very big pile of chopped greens when you are done. Don't worry, it will all cook down!
  • Casserole Dish: For everyday dinners I use a large oven-safe skillet for the gratin and move it directly from the stove top to the oven. For company I like to use my Bennington Potters Oval Casserole Dish.

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  • Ingredient Spotlight: All About Swiss Chard
    Ingredient Spotlight: All About Swiss Chard
  • A Guide to the Spring Farmers' Market
    A Guide to the Spring Farmers' Market
  • Ingredient Spotlight: Mild, Sweet Hakurei Turnips
    Ingredient Spotlight: Mild, Sweet Hakurei Turnips
  • Kale, Radish, and Leek Gratin with Gruyere Cheese
    Kale, Radish, and Leek Gratin with Gruyere Cheese

Filed Under: 10 ingredients or less, fall, french recipes, recipe, side dishes, spring, vegetable dishes, vegetable gratins, vegetarian Tagged With: cheese, swiss chard

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Comments

  1. Joanne says

    May 13, 2017 at 11:34 am

    5 stars
    I got a BUNCH of greens in my CSA this week and was looking for something to use them up. Thanks for the great recipe!

    Reply
    • justalittlebitofbacon says

      May 13, 2017 at 2:45 pm

      I’m glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  2. Cathy says

    May 31, 2016 at 8:48 am

    5 stars
    Nothing better than getting your daily greens with a big dose of toasty parmesan. This is a great recipe to get the kids or a finicky vegetable eater to give greens a chance and most certainly win them over! Yum!

    Reply
    • justalittlebitofbacon says

      May 31, 2016 at 6:20 pm

      My husband isn’t the biggest fan of greens and he enjoyed this!

      Reply
  3. Sara says

    May 29, 2016 at 3:57 am

    5 stars
    This is so delicious, and perfect for the cold winter days we are having in Sydney right now.

    Reply
    • justalittlebitofbacon says

      May 29, 2016 at 9:08 am

      Thanks! We enjoyed it on a cool, spring day, but it would be lovely on a cold, winter day too. šŸ™‚

      Reply

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Hello, I’m Annemarie

Welcome to my kitchen! I’m a Italian-American girl who loves fresh foods, local ingredients, and all sorts of comfort foods. Here you will find Mediterranean flavors and recipes from a New England perspective.

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