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
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
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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