By David Tanis
- Total Time
- 1 hour 15 minutes
- Rating
- 4(285)
- Notes
- Read community notes
A substantial vegetable casserole, this recipe can be a green vegetable side dish or a vegetarian main course. Though a bit of a job to put together, it is a crowd-pleaser.
Featured in: 3 Lively Vegetarian Sides That Add Color to the Thanksgiving Table
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Ingredients
Yield:6 to 8 servings
- 3pounds chard, any color (from about 6 bunches)
- Salt and pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for greasing the baking dish and drizzling
- 3tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2cups half-and-half or milk, plus more as needed
- Ground nutmeg, to taste
- Ground cayenne, to taste
- About 1 pound fresh ricotta
- ¾cup grated Parmesan
- ¾cup dry bread crumbs, preferably homemade
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Preparation
Step
1
Wash chard in a deep basin of cold tap water. Remove stems and reserve for another purpose (chopped and added to vegetable soup, for instance). Chop or tear chard leaves into rough 2-inch pieces.
Step
2
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Submerge chard, turning it so it cooks evenly, and simmer over medium heat, 1 minute or so. Drain and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
Step
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Oil a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Step
4
Make a béchamel: Melt butter in a heavy 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add flour, stir well and let mixture cook for a minute or so, without browning. Slowly add 2 cups half-and-half, ¼ cup at a time, whisking well as mixture thickens. Turn heat to low.
Step
5
Season sauce with a good pinch of salt, a little bit of nutmeg and a speck of cayenne. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Taste and correct seasoning. Consistency should be gravylike and not too thick — thin with more half-and-half as necessary.
Step
6
While the sauce cooks, squeeze the cooled chard dry, and, using a large knife, cut it into ½-inch slices. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Top with blobs of ricotta, evenly spaced.
Step
7
Pour or spoon warm béchamel over dish, covering everything evenly to the edges. Sprinkle with Parmesan and bread crumbs. Drizzle with a little olive oil in a fine stream. Bake until bubbling and nicely browned, 40 minutes. Let cool slightly, then serve hot or warm.
Tip
- This can be made up to 24 hours in advance, refrigerated, and reheated for 15 to 20 minutes in a 350-degree oven, until the casserole bubbles at the edges.
Ratings
4
out of 5
285
user ratings
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Cooking Notes
Lisa
Save boiling a pot of water by putting a towel on a large plate, pile up the chopped chard and microwave for a minute or so until wilted. Towel absorbs the water released by the chard. Also eliminates the second chopping step.
Barbara R
This same dish made with spinach is called a Madeline. Simpler than the author describes, it's delicious, lends itself to numerous variations, and easy to make ahead - convenient for Thanksgiving.
April
Did this with Kale and it turned out great! a little liquid in the bottom of the dish but didnt end up too watery imo. I also recommend salting and seasoning the ricotta. Would be even more amazing to start the roux with bacon grease and incorporate bacon and shallots into the greens and top with crispy shallots. Cant wait to make it again!
E
About how many cups of blanched chard do you get? I’d like to substitute cooked kale or spinach.
JD
Alternatively, follow recipe except toward the end add the grated Parmesan to the béchamel for a Parmesan cheese sauce. Then top with bread crumbs and drizzle with olive oil.
ML
I used whole milk instead of half and half — still very creamy and rich!
Heidi C.
If this dish was a date, you would go out once, have a perfectly decent time, and never see him/her/them again. The dish, which I made for dinner, is fine. Just fine. A little bland. But considering the time and ingredients, it's not worth it. Sorry David.
Edith L
One more note. Follow Step 1 for washing. I got my chard from Whole Foods and it was gritty. There was grit left on the bottom of the sink. Definitely needed the soak
T. Smith
Apparently Heidi C. and I are fundamentally incompatible, despite her delightfully pithy review. This dish is a lovely though subtle companion, but you have to be sure to get the seasonings right in each component (taste before assembly). It is quite rich, I might cut back on either the ricotta or bechamel next time. But probably not.
Christina
mix salt, pepper, and lemon zest into the ricotta, give a squeeze of lemon over the greens to brighten, sauté green onions to toss on top, add thyme to the bechamel, and thank me later.
Joshua
This was really good and a crown favorite. I mixed chard and kale. There were so many greens! It was a mountain of greens, but they cooked down to the right amount for the dish. I sautéed shiitake mushrooms in olive oil and some garlic and put those on the greens before the ricotta. Excellent added flavor.
Stephanie
This was delicious, but…next time I’ll use half the size of dish so it’s thicker, a quarter of the breadcrumbs in the recipe, and yes spinach, chard or whatever would work.
Edith L
This was very tasty and used up some ricotta. I made a half recipe as a companion to a vegetarian pie-Ratatouille Pie that I have made for years. It was rich but not overwhelming. I used the stems too, cut them off and just boiled longer. 10 minutes. I knew I would not use otherwise.
Edith L
One more note. Follow Step 1 for washing. I got my chard from Whole Foods and it was gritty. There was grit left on the bottom of the sink. Definitely needed the soak
chard fan
Made it exactly as recipe and it was delicious. We have a ton of chard in the garden right now so it is a timely recipe. We used 24oz of chard leaves, no stems, and it made a 9x9 baking dish full. Will make again with some possible additional spices or herbs depending on whats abundant.
Dman
Could this be done with chicken in it? Was good either way
Audrey
Suggestions on how to make this vegan?
Miranda
Silken tofu, run through a food processor?
Heidi C.
If this dish was a date, you would go out once, have a perfectly decent time, and never see him/her/them again. The dish, which I made for dinner, is fine. Just fine. A little bland. But considering the time and ingredients, it's not worth it. Sorry David.
vsp
This is the best side-dish you will make this season.
MC
Made this at Thanksgiving and it was a crowd pleaser. Microwaved the chard in two batches and saved time.
ML
I used whole milk instead of half and half — still very creamy and rich!
Mary
I'll be adding rotisserie chicken pieces and call it a meal!
April
Did this with Kale and it turned out great! a little liquid in the bottom of the dish but didnt end up too watery imo. I also recommend salting and seasoning the ricotta. Would be even more amazing to start the roux with bacon grease and incorporate bacon and shallots into the greens and top with crispy shallots. Cant wait to make it again!
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