Chard Gratin Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Christmas

by: Amanda Hesser

June6,2013

4.6

10 Ratings

  • Serves 4 as a side

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Author Notes

This recipe comes from Tender, by Nigel Slater. —Amanda Hesser

  • Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients
  • 1 poundchard, stems and leaves
  • Salt
  • Butter, for the baking dish
  • 1 tablespoonwhole grain mustard
  • 1 3/4 cupsheavy cream
  • A handful of grated parmesan
  • Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
  1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the chard leaves from the stems. Chop the stems into short lengths, then cook briefly in boiling, lightly salted water until crisply tender. Remove the stems. Drip the leaves in the boiling water briefly, until they relax. Drain, let cool, and wring out the leaves. Spread the stems and leaves in a buttered shallow ovenproof dish.
  2. Put the mustard in a bowl and stir in the cream and a grinding of salt and black pepper. Pour the seasoned cream over the stems and leaves, cover with grated Parmesan, and bake, 35 to 40 minutes, until the top has a light crust the color of honey.

Tags:

  • Casserole/Gratin
  • American
  • Chard
  • Vegetable
  • Mustard
  • Milk/Cream
  • Summer
  • Christmas
  • Winter
  • Spring
  • Fall
  • Side

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Frank

  • janet tipple

  • Kevin French

  • sevenfaces

  • Sophies Foodie

Recipe by: Amanda Hesser

Before starting Food52 with Merrill, I was a food writer and editor at the New York Times. I've written several books, including "Cooking for Mr. Latte" and "The Essential New York Times Cookbook." I played myself in "Julie & Julia" -- hope you didn't blink, or you may have missed the scene! I live in Brooklyn with my husband, Tad, and twins, Walker and Addison.

Popular on Food52

48 Reviews

[emailprotected] May 22, 2023

Good recipe. Added a little nutmeg which worked really well... will definitely do this again. Nigel Slater rarely misses.

the M. July 3, 2020

Made this tonight with an over abundance of chard and beet tops from my CSA. Short on time, I did not precook the greens before placing in buttered gratin pan. Just washed them, sliced them thinly and threw them into pan. Poured cream mixture over top with sprinkling of Parmesan, threw in oven and hoped for the best. DELICIOUS! Top had crispy greens and crispy cheese. Highly recommend skipping the boiling step and just starting with raw greens.

Amanda H. July 3, 2020

This is a great recommendation, and I agree -- you only need to do the boiling step if the greens are tough. Thanks for sharing!

witloof May 31, 2020

I made a half portion of this with chard from the farmer's market and it was utterly delicious. I didn't have whole grain mustard so I used what I had, which was a Dijon style with green peppercorns. Thank you for this lovely recipe.

KBArch May 24, 2020

I love this recipe so much. I have been making it since I first saw it in NIgel Slater's column in the Guardian many years ago. It is great that Amanda has introduced it to the US public. To all those who tinkered with it, I have tried variations (like adding onions, or garlic, or lighter cream). However, I after many variations, I am firmly convinced that it is best just as Amanda has written it and described the result. One tip I would add, is not to use too small a baking dish. You want that golden slightly cheesy salty top.

Amanda H. May 28, 2020

Thanks so much for sharing your insights! (And enthusiasm for this recipe!)

Glenn G. April 23, 2020

Being stuck at home, looked for something different. Quickly became a favorite.
I like it with a little less cream and added garlic

Amanda H. April 23, 2020

Glad it's been helpful during quarantine!

Frank February 27, 2020

I just made this and loved it. I will say, I cut the cream down to 1 cup and am happy I did. It's a simple recipe that lends itself to improvisation. My wife didn't like the tartness (she hates mustard) so next time I will try it without the mustard and throw in some sauteed garlic instead.

Amanda H. February 27, 2020

So glad you liked it and agree, it can definitely be made without the mustard.

janet T. July 3, 2019

Could I swap the chard for collards? We grow them in our garden and always have tons.

Amanda H. July 3, 2019

Yes, definitely -- but unless the collards are very tender, I'd recommend blanching the greens for a bit longer.

janet T. February 27, 2020

I chiffonade the collards and wilt them in a large pot with a bit of water, then drain well. Works like a charm and makes a deilicious dish.

Amanda H. February 27, 2020

Great to know -- thanks for sharing!

Kevin F. January 3, 2016

This was a win. Added a little more mustard than called for as the brand we were sing was so very mild. We are on a gratin kick around here, and we will be adding this to the rotation.

sevenfaces October 5, 2015

Made this today with 4 kinds of chard from my (lovely neighbour's!) garden, no cream so I subbed with a lightly cheddared bechamel, no whole grain so used dijon. No salt required. Used sissy's microwave tip which worked a treat, and baked for 30 minutes - so good!

Sophies F. September 5, 2015

I made it today with fresh multicolored chard from my own garden!
It was superb & the max in flavor but very rich! ;)

sissy April 9, 2015

This is my go-to chard recipe. And to make it easier, I wrap the washed chard leaves in a dish towel and microwave them for about a minute. They are ready to go into the gratin dish.

whmcdevitt December 30, 2014

absolutely you can. i have done so many times. i would never hold it overnight but 2-3 hours will be fine!

Emily N. December 30, 2014

Made this once before and it was glorious!
Question for 2nd time around - could you do everything to prep the casserole but refrigerate for a couple hours before baking?

weekend A. August 4, 2014

I made this last night with the most beautiful farmer's market chard. It was so, so delicious. I used about a cup of cream to about a pound of chard, and skipped the mustard since I didn't have any.
My 17 month old couldn't shovel it into his face fast enough!

Amanda H. August 8, 2014

Great news!

teechaz329 January 8, 2014

Very tasty soup. I just added some NM green Chile for some spunk.

jillyp November 29, 2013

This was delicious - and crazy easy! After reading the comments,I used the full amount of cream, but with just under 2 lbs of chard.

DECarro44 September 12, 2013

I used coconut milk instead of the heavy cream (only about a cup) and it was great! It was an easy go-to dish for summer greens from the farmers market.

Amanda H. September 12, 2013

Thanks for letting us know about this successful variation!

whmcdevitt August 26, 2013

this was very good, next time i will double the swiss chard. I only used 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1/2 cup half and half. It was delicious... i would have just liked more swiss chard.

Emily E. June 18, 2013

Delicious. I baked it with some leek and goat cheese ravioli. Oh heaven! Thanks:)

Slimfender June 18, 2013

If I were to add sausage to this recipe, would I want to cook it first before adding it to the casserole (in order to drain off the fat) or would it be okay in the casserole? I guess I'm wondering if it would be too greasy. I also wonder if 1/2lb of meat is too much or enough?

Amanda H. June 18, 2013

I'd lightly cook it first and I'd start with 1/4 pound.

Slimfender June 19, 2013

Thank you so much!

Chard Gratin Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

How do you cook Swiss chard with Martha Stewart? ›

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, warm olive oil. Cook garlic until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in stalks; cook, stirring, until slightly soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Add half the leaves; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar.

What does Swiss chard taste like reddit? ›

Bitter, sickly crunch, vaguely earthy...

How do you get the bitterness out of Swiss chard? ›

To minimize bitterness in Swiss chard, it is recommended to blanch or sauté the leaves before adding them to a dish, or to pair them with other flavorful ingredients such as garlic, lemon, or cheese.

How do you get the bitterness out of chard? ›

So add something sharp like a few sploshes of red wine vinegar, or a squeeze of fresh lemon to taste. Then counter balance it with either a pinch or two of sugar, or anything else sweet like agave nectar or honey. The point is not to make them taste sweet, but just to counter balance the natural bitterness of the leaf.

Is Swiss chard good or bad for you? ›

Health benefits of Swiss chard. Swiss chard is a highly nutritious vegetable. It is a rich source of vitamin K and may help people maintain healthy blood sugar levels and support heart health. It is also commonly known as silverbeet, spinach beet, perpetual spinach, crab beet, and mangold.

Is Swiss chard inflammatory? ›

chard is also has an abundance of antioxidants as well as phytonutrient antioxidants. Why are these phytonutrient antioxidants so special? These antioxidants have been shown to have great anti-inflammatory properties. These phytonutrients can be found in the plant's leaves, and colorful stems.

Do you eat the stems of Swiss chard? ›

Chard stems take a little longer to cook than the leaves, but the whole plant is edible and delicious. It's a little bit sweet in the stems (which have a slight celery-like flavor) and pleasantly bitter in the leaves. Some people prefer to remove the stems from the leaves and cook them separately.

How do you prepare and eat chard? ›

Heat a little olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chard stems and cook for about 2 minutes, or until they start to soften. Then, add the leaves, some sliced garlic, salt, and pepper, and cook until the leaves wilt, about another 2 minutes. Finally, season and serve.

Do you wash Swiss chard after harvest or before eating? ›

Instead, wait to wash chard until right before use. Wash chard leaves with cool water until all dirt or grit is removed. To help, you can dunk the leaves in a bowl of water to ensure that everything is cleaned. It's easy to store chard, and you can use it in everything, from soups to salads.

Is it better to eat chard raw or cooked? ›

You can eat these greens both raw or cooked. However, cooking chards improves not only the nutrient availability, but also the taste. Swiss chard is susceptible to foodborne pathogens, like other leafy greens, so be careful about washing this veggie thoroughly before preparing it.

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