Sweet butternut squash and gorgeous rainbow chard are mixed with nutty Gruyère, topped with crunchy breadcrumbs and baked into a gratin with Swiss cheese.
We are officially on the fall recipe train with this dish. It's hearty and filling, but also super healthy!
This Butternut Squash and Swiss Chard Gratin is cheesy, melty, crunchy on top, and packed full of veggies. Swapping in butternut squash for the usual potato cuts the calorie count way down and pumps the vitamin count way up, and Swiss chard is a nutritional powerhouse. AND - it's super delicious.
This was adapted from a recipe we got in a Plated box a few years ago. I normally wouldn't have considered gratin to be a weeknight-friendly dish, but I loved how simple and approachable they made it! There is no roux to make, no layering of ingredients, and giving the veggies a head start by roasting & sautéing them means the whole thing doesn't need to bake for an hour like gratin usually does.
We don't do meal delivery kits all the time, but I like to get a Plated box every once in a while if I feel like I'm in a bit of a cooking rut. If you want to give it a try, use my invitation link and get up to $72 off your first box!*
*Quick update: Sadly, Plated discontinued their subscription service and switched to a new model. I've left most of the original post here for posterity, and in the hopes it comes back one day.
You can substitute regular Swiss chard or red chard if you can't find rainbow, but the grocery store had some absolutely GORGEOUS looking rainbow chard that I could not pass up.
Seriously how pretty is this stuff?
Just gorgeous.
You are going to be pleasantly surprised at how quickly and easily this comes together. Just roast up the squash and Swiss chard stems, sauté the shallots and chard leaves, mix it all together with some nutty Gruyère cheese, top with crunchy Panko breadcrumbs (you can by Panko online if you don't have it already) and bake away.
Also - if you have leftovers they are perfect for breakfast with an egg on top.
Here are some equally gorgeous main dishes to accompany this butternut squash and Swiss chard gratin!
Yummy noises await you!
Butternut Squash and Swiss Chard Gratin
Ingredients
- 1 bunch rainbow chard* (about 12 oz)
- 1 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into ¾ inch cubes
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 2 shallots, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 3 oz Gruyère cheese, shredded
- 4 oz milk
- ¼ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoon parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Thoroughly rinse and dry chard. Use a knife to slice along each side of the stem, separating the stem from the leaves. Separately, thinly slice both the leaves and stems. Add sliced chard stems and cubed squash to a baking sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon thyme, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Spread into a single layer and roast until tender, 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until slightly softened, 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add chard leaves, ½ teaspoon thyme, ¼ teaspoon salt, and a few more grinds of pepper, and cook until wilted and softened, about 3 more minutes. Remove from heat.
- Add the roasted squash & chard stems, Gruyère, and milk to the pan with the shallots and chard leaves. Stir to combine, and transfer mixture to an 8 inch by 8 inch baking dish. Top with Panko breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and drizzle or spray with olive oil. Return to oven and bake until cheese is bubbling & the sauce has thickened and top is crispy, about 18 minutes. If desired, broil for an additional 1-2 minutes to brown the top.
Notes
This looks amazing!!!! I have a butternut squash gratin recipe I make for Thanksgiving instead of sweet potatoes. I prefer the more savory flavor of the squash over the sweetness of the potato, love it! However, this looks so beautiful and I love any greens with squash! Genius!!!! Can't wait to try it! I'm guessing this will be on our menu for Thanksgiving this year!!!!
Thank you!!!!
I love your savory butternut squash recipe! Definitely planning on posting that one too ????
I hadn’t ever really cooked with chard so this is a fun way to try it
Looks great and I buy Swiss chard all the time. Thanks.
Isn’t the rainbow kind so pretty? Hope you like it!
This looks and sounds great. Yum!!! Can't wait to try it!
Thanks, Bella! Hope you like it! ????
Looks great but I am the only one that like swiss chard in my family.
Maybe they’ll like it if they have it in a new way! Just make it and don’t tell them what it is ????
wow ! very nice Looks sooooo good! Thanks for sharing
Thank you, hope you enjoy it!