The Painted Apron

Recipe Box, Savory Swiss Chard Strata

Posted by the Painted Apron on April 21, 2015 · 5 Comments 

Do you ever make strata? You know, bread cubes, eggs, milk and cheese?

It’s a fast and easy dish that is impressive, and can be made a zillion different ways

I needed a side dish for some meat the guys were grilling and didn’t have any potatoes…then I spied a package of lovely onion poppy seed rolls sitting in my bread basket

A little fresh Swiss chard and Asiago cheese might just make a different and tasty dish!

Cut the middle red stems from the chard leaves and slice the greens into ribbons

Saute the leaves quickly in oil.  They will wilt down like spinach in just a few minutes.  Add garlic and cook one more minute until you can smell the garlic and set pan aside

Cube bread and place half in greased baking dish

Top with Swiss chard, spreading it into an even layer

Cover with 1/2 of cheese then top with remaining bread and cheese

At this point I decided to add some crispy bacon that was conveniently in the fridge,  so I tucked it in under the top layer of bread~ chicken, turkey, sausage or ham would be fabulous too

Ideally you would be more organized then I was  add the bacon in the middle before adding the top layer

Pour the egg, milk mixture in and push down bread cubes to submerge partially, adding more milk if needed.  Top the whole thing off with a drizzle of cream, just for ensured moisture

At this point cover the dish and refrigerate it overnight or until later for baking.  It needs to have a little time to soak up the moisture before baking

Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes until golden and set

Savory Swiss Chard Strata

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 55 minutes mins

Course Brunch, Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

• 10-12 large swiss chard leaves
• 4 large onion rolls*
• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/4 cup cream
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 tsp dry mustard
• 4 oz Asiago cheese grated
• 4-6 slices cooked bacon optional

Instructions

 

• Rinse Swiss chard leaves and pat dry. Remove center red stem from chard leaves by cutting closely along edges. Discard stems and chop leaves into ribbons.
• Melt butter in a large skillet and add a drizzle of olive oil. Add chard ribbons and stir. Cover for a minute or 2 to wilt chard down. Stir.
• Once chard is cooked, it will be reduced and soft like cooked spinach, add minced garlic. Cook and stir for a minute or 2, just until garlic is fragrant. Set aside.
• Grease or spray a large baking dish. Cut rolls into 1 inch squares and add 1/2 to bottom of dish in a single layer. Cover bread evenly with cooked swiss chard. Sprinkle with half of cheese, and bacon [optional]. Top with remaining bread cubes and cheese.
• Beat eggs and 1 cup milk and season well with salt, pepper, and mustard. Pour evenly over contents of baking dish. Add another 1/2 cup of milk if necessary to submerge bread. Top with a drizzle of cream. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
• Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes. Makes 6-8 servings

Notes

*use any kind of bread, focaccia, crossiants, challah, sour dough~ amount will depend on size of your dish. Adjust eggs and milk too, adding more or less according to the size of your dish. You want the bread to be mostly submerged to insure a moist result after baking.

Keyword bloody mary bread pudding, brunch casserole, Savory Strata, Swiss Chard

Very easy, quite divine!

Use any kind of bread you like and add more protein for a complete meal.  Endless possibilities for cleaning out your fridge too~ add more milk or cream, or an additional egg or 2 depending on casserole size.   Just remember to refrigerate dish for a little while before cooking so the bread has a chance to absorb the liquid

Enjoy!

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