Cheesy Potato Chard Bake

This casserole of potatoes, chard and two cheeses is a great vegetarian main course option. It’s deliciously rich so it’s very filling and, best of all, you can easily double or treble the ingredients to feed a crowd. Add a green salad, tomato salad or some grilled asparagus to round out the meal.

Last spring I was in Providence visiting my girls and, as usual, they invited their friends over for dinner. I miss a full house now that they are living away but those evenings make up for it a little bit. Such a delightful group of young people, almost all students or recent graduates of Rhode Island School of Design! We had taken advantage of the farmers’ market that morning and had a couple of big bunches of fresh chard and some locally made goat cheese in hand, so we adapted a recipe from Bountiful * for creamed Swiss chard that is supposed to be served over baked potatoes, and made it into a casserole. It turned out gorgeously! One of the talented friends (Debora V. Fulop!) who helped to cook the meal has promised to illustrate some of the steps, since we didn’t take many photos and as soon as she gets around to it, I’ll share that recipe. Right now Deb is busy designing jewelry but she also takes commissions for other illustration and design work.

Meanwhile, this version is much healthier, with no cream in sight. I did use a mix of feta and mozzarella that makes this just as fulfilling to eat.

This week, our Sunday Supper group is celebrating the official start of autumn in the northern hemisphere with cozy dishes that fit the season. As temperatures start to cool down and you are looking for comfort food, it doesn’t get more comforting, in my opinion, than something made with potatoes and melted cheese. Make sure you scroll on down to see all the beautiful seasonal recipes we have for you today and find out how to join Sunday Supper on our mission to get folks back around the family table.

Ingredients
3 1/2 oz or 100g (without the hard stems) Swiss chard or other local greens - Kale also works great!
1 lb 6 oz or 635g new potatoes
2 cloves garlic
About 4 1/2 oz or 125g feta (I like to use sheep's milk feta for stronger flavor.)
About 4 1/2 oz or 125g fresh mozzarella
Olive oil
Black pepper – freshly ground
Cayenne pepper or paprika- optional

Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.

Cut the new potatoes into chunks and chop your garlic. (If you can't find new potatoes, by all means, use regular ones but peel them first. I even peeled some of my new potatoes because they had some funny bits.)

Wash your Swiss chard or other greens really well and cut out and discard any hard middle stems. Chop the leaves roughly.

Slice the mozzarella and crumble the feta. Set aside.

In an ovenproof pan that is big enough to hold all of the potatoes, sauté the garlic with a good drizzle of olive oil. Add the potato chunks into the garlic pan and cook for a few minutes, stirring them around so they are coated with the olive oil. Drizzle in a little more olive oil, if the pan is too dry.

Add the Swiss chard, cover the pot and allow the chard to wilt.

Sprinkle everything with some generous grinds of fresh black pepper and stir the pot so that the chard and potatoes are evenly distributed.

Top with the crumbled feta and sliced mozzarella.

Sprinkle with a little bit of cayenne or paprika for color, if desired. Drizzle with olive oil.

Bake, uncovered, in your preheated oven until the potatoes are tender and the cheesy top is golden and bubbling. Mine took about 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Many thanks to our host for this week’s Fabulous Fall Foods Sunday Supper, Coleen of The Redhead Baker and, her host mentor, Conni of The Foodie Army Wife. Is summer still hanging on where you live or are you ready to celebrate autumn with seasonal fruit and vegetables and warming dishes for cold nights?

Appetizers and Drinks

• Hatch Chile Hummus by Shockingly Delicious
• Pearfect Harvest Cocktail by Eat, Drink and be Tracy

Soups, Stews, Chili, and Casserole

• Butternut Squash Chowder by The Texan New Yorker
• Butternut Squash Soup with Sage and Sautéed Mushrooms by Cooking Chat
• Cheesy Potato Chard Bake by Food Lust People Love
• Fall Harvest Onion Soup by MealDiva
• Homemade Poultry Seasoning and Chicken Dumpling Casserole by Hot Momma's Kitchen Chaos
• Kale and Sweet Potato Stew by What Smells So Good?
• Pumpkin Chili by Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
• Smoked Gouda Cauliflower Casserole by Casadecrews

Salads and Side Dishes

• Brie and Pear Salad by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Butternut Squash Dinner Rolls by Life Tastes Good
• Carrot and Chevre Souffle by Jane's Adventures in Dinner
• Fall Harvest Panzanella by Curious Cuisiniere
• Garlicky Roasted Butternut Squash by Panning The Globe
• Maple Roasted Acorn Squash by Jelly Toast
• Roasted Vegetables with Spiced Pepitas and Sunflower Seeds by Nosh My Way
• Wild Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash by Ruffles & Truffles

Main Dishes

• Chicken alla Vendemmia by Crazy Foodie Stunts
• Oktoberfest Schnitzel Melt Sandwich by Kudos Kitchen by Renee
• Ratatouille by A Mama, Baby & Shar-pei in the Kitchen
• Roasted Pork Tenderloin over Sweet Potatoes by Family Foodie
• Streamlined Weeknight Shepherd's Pie by The Weekend Gourmet

Desserts and Baked Goods

• Apple and Cinnamon Cake by Happy Baking Days
• Apple Challah Bread French Toast by Desserts Required
• Apple Dumplings with Salted Caramel Rum Sauce by The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch
• Apple Hand Pie {Apfeltaschen} by The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
• Apple Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookies by Pies and Plots
• Apple Pie Bars by The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Caramel Apple Cider Ginger Ale Floats by NeighborFood
• Chai Tea Jello Shots by Peaceful Cooking
• Cranberry Orange Baked Doughnuts by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Maple Glazed Apple Galette by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• No Bake Caramel Apple Cheesecake Parfaits by Chocolate Moosey
• Peanut Butter Ginger Apple Cookies by Ninja Baking
• Pear Walnut Bread Pudding by Magnolia Days
• Pumpkin Bagels by The Redhead Baker
• Pumpkin Cheesecake by Confessions of a Culinary Diva
• Pumpkin Cinnamon Chip Cookies by Momma's Meals
• Pumpkin Coffeecake Muffins by Take A Bite Out of Boca
• Pumpkin Ice Cream by Amee's Savory Dish
• Pumpkin Pie Cookies by Fit Foodie Runs
• Pumpkin Scones with Maple Glaze by The Foodie Army Wife
• Pumpkin Snack Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting by Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Rustic Apple Pie by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Southern Coffee Cookies by Killer Bunnies, Inc
• Sticky Apple and Gingerbread Cake by Mess Makes Food
• White Chocolate Chip Sugar Cookie Bars with Browned Butter Pumpkin Spice Frosting by Cupcakes & Kale Chips

*This is an Amazon affiliate link. I earn some small change if you buy through this link, at no extra cost to you.

Parma Ham, Arugula and Fresh Mozzarella Salad

I got some moaning and groaning about difficulty among the positive comments regarding the beef Wellington last night, after posting the link on my Facebook page.  It wasn’t that hard, really it wasn’t!  But, just for you, here’s a simple recipe that is so easy, it is actually just assembly.  A salad, so nothing to cook!  But it is huge on flavor and succulentness.  Yes, I know that’s not a word, but it should be.  Heads up, OED. Next year's edition?

(P.S.  This was our starter last night!  We enjoyed something similar weekend before last during our three days in Singapore and I have been wanting to try my own version since we arrived home.  Simon’s comment was, “Please add this to the list of things we have again!”  I think he liked it.  And, in the spirit of full disclosure, after eating this as a starter, we each only ate half of our individual beef Wellingtons.  Yay, leftovers for me tonight!)

Ingredients for the salad to serve two

1 large ball (125g or 4.4oz) fresh buffalo mozzarella – ours was Italian but if you have a locally made one that is soft and creamy and stored in the whey, give it a try.  This will not be the same with mozzarella encased in plastic.

About 50g or 1.75 oz arugula or rocket – a couple of good handfuls each

70g or 2.5oz Parma ham or prosciutto

Ingredients for the dressing – you will have leftovers

4 sun-dried tomato halves

Enough boiling water to cover the tomatoes

3 tablespoons or 1.5oz or 45ml lemon juice

6 tablespoons or 3oz or 90ml olive oil

1 large clove of garlic

Sea salt

Black pepper

Method

Soak the sun-dried tomatoes in some hot boiling water, just to cover. 

Slice the garlic as thinly as you can and add it to a clean, empty jar.  (One you have saved and washed thoroughly when you finished the jam or something.  Failing this, a bowl and a small whisk will do.  A jar is just easier and you can store the balance in it.) 

Add the lemon juice to the garlic and let it steep for a bit.  This will take some of the pungency and sharpness out of the garlic.

Add in the olive oil, a pinch or two of sea salt and a few good grinds of fresh black pepper.

When your tomatoes have softened sufficiently, slice them up and add them to the jar or bowl.  Add in about 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons of the tomato soaking water.

Shake or whisk until the dressing is homogeneous.

To assemble the salad:  Divide your arugula between two small plates.

Cut the mozzarella ball in half long ways.  Put each half in the center of the arugula, cut side up.

Cut your slices of Parma ham in half lengthwise and drape them artfully around the mozzarella.

Give the dressing another good shake or whisk and drizzle it with a spoon, all around the arugula, Parma ham and mozzarella.  It's done.

The perfect way to eat this is to make sure to get a bit of ham, arugula and mozzarella in each bite.  If you can make it work out even till the last bite, you are truly gifted, a superior human being.  And I would be proud to know you. 

For a vegetarian version, why not try marinated artichokes instead of the Parma ham?