Swiss chard can be used like spinach. Its colorful stems can also be eaten. Chop stems and cook along with leaves. Stems are similar to celery in texture.
To store, leave in bag in refrigerator.
To clean, rinse leaves and stems.
SHEET PAN CHARD QUICHE
2-1/2 C flour
1 tsp. salt
1 C butter, cut up
1/4-1/3 C ice water
6 slices bacon
2 sweet ptatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 C chopped onion
1 C red bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 C swiss chard, coarsely chopped
10 eggs
2-1/2 C milk
1 T chopped fresh herbs (your choice: basil, parsley, rosemary, chives, thyme)
1. Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a jelly roll pan (15 x 10-inch pan).
2. In a food processor, pulse together flour, salt, and butter until crumbly. Add water, 1 T at a time until dough forms. Press dough evenly into pan. Bake 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon to paper towels to drain, then crumble. Reserve drippings.
4. Add sweet potatoes, onion, and garlic to skillet; cook for 6 minutes until potatoes are tender. Gradually add chard, stirring until wilted. Spread chard mixture evenly over hot crust.
5. Whisk together eggs, milk, salt and pepper, and herbs. Pour over chard mixture. Sprinkle with bacon. Bake 40-45 minutes until eggs set. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.
SWISS CHARD & BACON QUICHE
1 prepared pie crust dough homemade or store bought
3 eggs
1 cup heavy cream or a mix of milk and cream
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 slices bacon
1 small yellow onion diced (or 2-3 green onions)
8 oz. Swiss chard leaves and stems chopped (about 4 cups)
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Line a quiche pan or pie pan with prepared pie crust. Crimp edges and place parchment paper inside, and fill with pie weights (or alternative, such as dried beans). Blind bake your pie crust halfway by placing the pie pan on a rimmed baking sheet and baking for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and remove pie weights/beans and discard parchment paper. Turn oven down to 375 degrees F.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl. whisk together the three eggs and heavy cream until smooth. Stir in the grated cheddar cheese, kosher salt, and black pepper. Set aside.
In a large skillet, cook the four strips of bacon until crispy. Set aside on a paper towel lined plate. Remove all but two tablespoons of the bacon grease from the skillet. Add the diced onion and sauté over medium-high heat until softened and starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the Swiss chard and sauté until both the leaves and the stems are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated, 5-7 minutes. Meanwhile, chop up the bacon slices. Add them to the skillet when the chard has finished cooking. Place the chard and bacon mixture in the bottom of the half-baked pie crust. Spread out evenly.
Pour the egg, cream, and cheese mixture on top. Spread it out evenly, ensuring the cheese evenly coats the top. Bake the quiche at 375F for 20 minutes, or until browned on top and filling is firm when you shake it slightly. Allow to cool for 10 minutes at least. Cut into 8 slices and serve warm or at room temperature.
CROCKPOT CHARD & CHEESE TORTELLINI
1 lb. ground sausage
1 bunch fresh Swiss chard
4 C chicken broth
2 (14.5 oz.) cans Italian style diced tomatoes, drain
1 (8oz.) block cream cheese, cut into pieces
1 (19 oz.) bag frozen cheese tortellini
Brown sausage in a pan; drain. While meat is browning, trim the chard by separating leaves from stems. Rough chop the leaves. Fine chop the stems. In a small pot, bring to boil the chicken broth, add chopped chard stems, and cook for 5 minutes. Put all ingredients into a crockpot. Cook on low for 5 hours. If it seems too soupy, remove the lid for a half hour before serving. YUM!
TASTY SWISS CHARD
1 bunch swiss chard, rinsed and drained
olive oil
1 clove garlic
1/4 c parmesan cheese
1/4 c bread crumbs
15.5 oz can cannellini beans
Separate the leaves from the center stems. Chop leaves into large pieces. Chop the stems into small pieces. In a pot of boiling water, add chopped stem pieces and cook 5 minutes. Add chopped leaves and boil until wilted. Drain. Heat oil in large pan and saute garlic for 1-2 minutes. Add chard, parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and beans. Heat through and serve.