This potato gratin is a wonderful rustic side dish for your Thanksgiving dinner that will satisfy anyone looking for a gluten-free option or a hearty vegetarian entree. Blanched kale, swiss chard, and potatoes are baked in a creamy, cheesy sauce until bubbly and gooey. It is easy to make, and reheats beautifully in the microwave.
I was joined in the kitchen by Margaret McSweeney, author and host of KitchenChat, to talk about healthy sides and menu planning for Thanksgiving. Please check out her podcast on our conversation, and video where we show how to make this wonderful casserole.
Use organic vegetables when possible.
Blanch the kale and swiss chard followed by an ice bath for best color and taste.
Potato, Kale, Swiss Chard and Parmesan Cheese Gratin
Ingredients
- 4 pounds small potatoes (yellow, red, purple)
- 6 medium leaves kale small bunch, stemmed and chopped
- 6 leaves swiss chard small bunch, stemmed and chopped
- 2 large shallots peeled, sliced thin
- 2 cups cream
- 2 cup milk or half/half
- 1 clove garlic peeled and smashed
- 4 large sage leaves
- ⅓ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 6 oz swiss & cheddar cheese grated or sliced
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Slice potatoes in thin rounds with a consistent thickness.
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; set a bowl of ice water on the side. Boil the chard and kale leaves until tender, 3 to 5 minutes, then transfer with a slotted spoon to the ice water. Squeeze them dry and chop roughly.
- In a small pan on stovetop, bring cream, milk, garlic, & whole sage leaves to gentle simmer. Do not boil. Let it simmer for about 5 - 7 minutes to infuse the flavors into the cream. Remove from the heat and remove the garlic and sage. Mince the garlic and sage leaves and toss back in the cream. Add ½ cup parmesan cheese, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes and nutmeg to the cream and combine until well mixed.
- In a 13 x 9 or a round casserole pan, place ½ the potatoes in a single overlapping layer on the bottom of the pan. Add half of the chard and kale over the potatoes. Add half of the cream mixture over the vegetables. Add a layer of of mixed swiss and cheddar cheese. Repeat the layers with the other half of the ingredients. Top with the remaining ½ cup parmesan cup.
- Cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for about 15 minutes or until top is browned and potatoes are fork tender.
- Adapted from New York Times /potato-and-swiss-chard-gratin
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