Swiss Chard Gratin (Krautstiel) — Baked Under Cheese in 40 Minutes
Yvonne Ammann VegetarianBoil the chard stalks in pieces for 8 minutes in salted water, adding the leaves for the last 2. Drain, into a gratin dish, pour over a quick béchamel, Gruyère on top, bake at 220 °C for 20 minutes. Cook stalks and leaves separately — or the leaves are mush before the stalks are soft.
Krautstiel — Swiss for chard — grows in abundance in every Swiss garden and at every farm stall in summer, and then nobody knows what to do with it. The gratin is the answer: stalks and leaves, béchamel, cheese, oven. One dish feeds four as a main with boiled potatoes, and it reheats just as well the next day.
Ingredients
- 800 g Swiss chard
Béchamel
- 40 g Butter
- 40 g Flour
- 4 dl Milk
- 1 dl Double cream
- 1 tsp Salt
- Pepper
- Nutmeg
- 150 g Gruyère (grated)
- 2 tbsp Breadcrumbs
Method
- 1
Prepare the chard
Cut the leaves from the stalks. Stalks into 3 cm pieces, leaves into wide strips. Wash both thoroughly — chard is often sandy.
- 2
Blanch
Preheat the oven to 220 °C. Boil the stalks in salted water for 8 minutes, adding the leaves for the last 2. Drain and squeeze well — wet vegetables water down the gratin.
- 3
Béchamel
Melt the butter, stir in the flour and cook 1 minute without colouring. Whisk in the milk gradually, bring to the boil and simmer 3 minutes until thick. Stir in the cream, salt, pepper, nutmeg and half the cheese.
- 4
Assemble
Put the chard in a buttered gratin dish, spread the béchamel over, scatter with the remaining cheese and the breadcrumbs.
- 5
Bake
Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes until golden on top and bubbling at the edges. Serve with boiled potatoes or bread.
Tips
- With 150 g diced ham between the vegetables and sauce, the gratin becomes a complete supper. Or sliced potatoes in the base of the dish — then no side is needed.
- Chard is at Migros and Coop from June to October, labelled 'Krautstiel' or 'Mangold'. The coloured varieties with red and yellow stalks taste the same and look prettier in the gratin.
- The gratin can be assembled a day ahead and kept raw in the fridge. Then bake 5 minutes longer.
What can I substitute?
Same gratin, different vegetable. Blanch leek rings 5 minutes, fennel wedges 8, savoy strips 6.
Any melting cheese works. Parmesan turns crisper and saltier — then less salt in the béchamel.
Lighter. The béchamel is a little less rich — cook 1 minute longer.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated from the ingredients.
Frequently asked questions
Why are the stalks still hard in the gratin?
Because the stalks and leaves were cooked for the same time. Stalks need 8 minutes, leaves 2 — they must go into the water separately. Cut thick stalks smaller or boil 2 minutes longer.
Why does the gratin turn watery?
The vegetables were not squeezed. Chard leaves hold a lot of water — after blanching, into a sieve, cool briefly, squeeze firmly by hand. Then the béchamel stays thick.
Is Krautstiel the same as chard?
Yes. Krautstiel is the Swiss word, Mangold the German one. There is stalk chard with wide white stalks — the one meant here — and leaf chard with thin stalks, used like spinach.
Can I freeze the gratin?
Baked, yes, up to two months. Reheat in the oven at 180 °C for 30 minutes. The béchamel stays stable; the vegetables soften a little.
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