Last updated on January 17th, 2021
(Updated January 2021 with video.) The prettiest edible in my edible garden? Swiss chard. I cut some of the plant’s green ruffled leaves and bright red stems the other day, and added them to a standard sausage strata. The final product was almost too delicious. I ate six servings all by my lonesome.
(((Oink.)))
You’ll find this strata is perfect for a Sunday brunch party. Just assemble it on Saturday, and then pop it in the fridge overnight. The following morning, bake it off about 1 hour before your guests arrive. And prepare yourself for a round of applause.
Swiss Chard and Sausage Strata: The Video Recipe
Thank for watching! Baby Binky (the kitten I rescued 5 months ago) was in the kitchen during filming, so I included a little clip of her in the video.
Here’s the simple step-by-step version of the recipe (scroll down for the printable version):
To start, grab a day-old baguette (about 12 ounces), and cut it in half.
Slice and dice half the baguette (about 6 ounces) into 1/2-inch pieces. Freeze the other half of the baguette. You won’t need it for this recipe.
Next, grab a medium-size onion, and dice it.
Then run to your garden or farmers’ market, and return with one pound of Swiss chard leaves which are still attached to their (brilliantly-hued) stems.
Cut the stems into 1/2-inch pieces, and roughly tear the leaves into 2-inch pieces.
Now grab a pound of sweet Italian sausage…
And cook it in a skillet, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon as it browns — about 5 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a bowl.
Put the chard stems, onion, and some salt and pepper in the skillet, and saute just until tender — about 5 minutes.
Then add the chard leaves and a splash of water or white wine, and saute just until the leaves wilt — about 2 minutes. Set aside to cool for a minute or two.
Meanwhile, crack 8 large eggs into a bright green bowl, and whisk them to smithereens.
Then whisk in 1 1/2 cups milk and 1 cup heavy cream.
There. Our prep work is complete. Let’s assemble our strata!
Tip half the sausage into a greased 9×13 baking dish…
Followed by half of the Swiss chard mixture…
And all of the diced baguette.
Top the baguette bits with the remaining sausage, followed by the remaining chard mixture.
Then add the eggy custard. Press everything down with a flat spatula to insure the bread makes good contact with the liquid.
To finish, sprinkle the top with 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese. What kind of cheese? Well, that’s entirely up to you. I used Asiago, but you could certainly substitute Swiss or Gruyere, or even Cheddar. If you’d like to ruin the dish, use Velveeta cheese. From a spray can.
Cover the dish with plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge overnight. During this time, the baguette will absorb all of the glorious custard sauce.
Bake on the center rack of a preheated 375°F oven until a skewer inserted in the center of the dish comes out clean — 45 minutes.
I have every intention of serving this savory poetry when friends Peter, Betsy, Kent, and Helen come for brunch next week. For such a simple dish, it’s rapturously delicious!
Here’s the printable:
Swiss chard and Italian sausage are a match made in heaven. Add them to a standard strata, and you'll have a make-ahead brunch or supper dish par excellence!
Ingredients
- 1 lb sweet Italian sausage
- 1 lb Swiss chard (or kale) leaves, the stems cut into 1/2-inch pieces, and the leaves torn into 2-inch pieces
- 1 medium onion, roughly diced
- 3 tablespoons water or white wine
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Half of 1 day-old baguette (about 6 oz), sliced and then diced into 1/2-inch pieces
- 8 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Asiago, Parmesan, Swiss, or Gruyere cheese
Instructions
- In a skillet, cook the sausage over medium heat, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon as it browns -- about 5 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a bowl. Add the chard stems and onion, and saute until tender -- about 3 minutes. Add the torn leaves, the onion, the water or wine and the salt and pepper, and saute just until the leaves wilt -- about 2 minutes.
- Grease a 9x13 baking dish. Add half the sausage to the dish, and top with half the chard mixture. Add all of the baguette pieces, followed by the remaining sausage and the chard mixture.
- Whisk the eggs in a large bowl, and then whisk in the milk and cream. Pour this custard over the strata. Press down on the ingredients to make sure all of the baguette pieces are saturated.Finish with the sprinkling of cheese, then cover with plastic wrap, and chill for several hours or overnight. About 1 hour before serving time, preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake the strata until a skewer inserted in the center of the dish comes out clean -- 45 minutes. Serve with champagne or mimosas.
Also in Kevin’s Kitchen:
Crispy Orange Juice Waffles
Portobello Mushroom Burgers
Blueberry Bars!
Susan Bankard says
Looks wonderful. In the photo directions you left out the second half of the sausage and chard mixture.
Connie says
I’m ROTFLMAO – “If you’d like to ruin the dish, use Velveeta cheese. From a spray can.” Gotta share this recipe. Looks fabulous! Thanks.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Susan Bankard – thanks for the heads-up. All fixed now!
Hi Connie – 🙂
Mary in Iowa says
You must have had a double yolked egg. I count 9 in the photo. Sorry. The “Count” on the old Sesame Street segments has nothing on me. I count everything. EVERYTHING. It almost approaches a character flaw.
This looks marvelous. I may try with golden beet leaves since that’s what I have lots of right now. Chard is a beet relative w/o the thickened roots, so it should be close. The new format is interesting. So far it’s not displaying the whole posting side to side, but hopefully that may clear up. Font is lighter, thinner, harder for ancient eyes to read, but probably works better with hand held devices.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Mary – I’ve put in a request for the site designer to darken the text. Other wrinkles will be worked out, too. Eggs: Your eyes do not deceive you! During picture-taking, I cracked one egg so violently that the white landed on my floor. I salvaged the yolk, and added another egg to make up the difference. Yes to beet greens. Delicious!
AnnofPA says
Whoa! Where am I?!? I’m so confused…..
The new digs look very pretty : )
Beverly, zone 6, eastern PA says
Kevin, Kevin, Kevin !!!! Your new website design is impressive. Love it.
I counted 9 eggs too. I wonder if you crack the eggs against the rim of the bowl or on a flat surface ? I am in the latter category. I agree about the Velveeta cheese topping. Why do people do that ?
The look of this Strata dish is really enticing. Your expert photos convince us all that we can achieve the desired result. Thanks for all your hard work.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Ann of PA – Have fun touring the new digs!
Hi Beverly – To avoid egg shells in the mix, I always crack the eggs against a flat surface. I mentioned this technique somewhere on this website!
Tracy says
Hey, Kevin. Congratulations on the new site design. For what it’s worth, I have a very large monitor, and the hero image still falls off the screen. The size of the lead photo needs to be reduced quite a bit, I think.
I hope you’ll give us a tour of your herb and vegetables gardens soon. I’m always so interested in how others garden.
Thanks!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Tracy – Sorry the lead photo falls off your screen. Mind telling us which browser you are using? (We’ve tested the site on Google Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer.)
Mary in Iowa says
Another comment on the new design: the masthead–or whatever the proper electronic name is for the newspaper term–has no photo, and says only, “Kevin Lee Ja”, with no “cobs”. The usual photo of you, which has appeared as a sidebar on the right can only be seen by scrolling all the way to the bottom, and there it is all by itself with nothing to the left. There is no left sidebar with a “Table of contents” anywhere at all. That may show up if one of the subjects at the top is clicked. Haven’t had much time to experiment. Yes, I still use a mouse on an ancient–as electronics go–desktop. Big eye roll. My browser is IE, though it’s an old version that needs to be updated one of these millennia–or changed to a new browser entirely. Maybe that’s the problem with the skewed format, but thought I’d let you know what I’m seeing.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Mary – I’ve passed your comment onto my web developer. Meantime, I can tell you the site is best viewed on Google Chrome. To view on Internet Explorer (the least-popular browser nowadays!), you will probably need to click the “full screen” icon on your computer. The “navigation menu” at the top of the page contains all the categories on the site: Recipe Index, Gardening, Household, etc. Hope this was helpful to you! Sincerely, Kevin Lee Ja
Mary in Iowa says
Thank you, Kevin Lee Ja!
Ja is good. Ja is YES!
Chrome is my plan, also recommended by our family IT man, Sean, aged 6. And I quote: “It’s the browser I prefer myself, Grandma.” I deserve a Tony, or at least an Oscar, for maintaining a perfectly straight face, an act I would have difficulty repeating. 🙂
Mary in Iowa says
Full screen didn’t work, but by changing the font size to 75% your happy photo is now at the top at the right. YAY! Of course I have to use a magnifying glass to read, but I had to do that anyway due to procrastinating on eye surgery. If procrastinating were an Olympic sport I’d be bringing home the gold.
Kate says
I wonder if I could substitute mushrooms sauteed with a little garlic for the sausage, or if that would go slimy after sitting overnight?!? It looks wonderful, but I’ve been asked to bring a vegetarian dish. Or I could follow your lovely recipe exactly–and eat all of it by myself!
Congrats on the new format.
Craig Evans says
It’s what’s for supper tonight. My wife said it looks good… even though I used a blue bowl for the eggs and not a green one. Fresh Ruby chard from the garden, eggs from our own chickens, and sausage that was part of the portion of half pig we purchased from a local producer.
Molly says
New format looks great on an iPad.
Recipes looks and sounds wonderful.
Karen Fremerman says
So glad you finally have a ‘search’ box on your site. I am a loyal reader and used to use the internet to search a recipe. It actually worked okay that way 😉 but this is nicer!!!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Kate – Need a vegetarian pot-luck dish? Try this one: Make Ahead Spinach and Cheese Strata.
Hi Craig – Sounds like you have all the ingredients you need. Let me know how the strata works out for you!
Hi Molly – I’m so glad the site looks great on your iPad. Phew!
Hi Karen – Yes, at last a search box that actually does what it’s supposed to do. I’m using it, too!
Nancy in New Mexico says
YUM….looks wonderful! We’ll give it a try as soon as we get a green bowl. Fresh, local, organic eggs with their vibrant golden yokes REQUIRE a green bowl to show off their beauty.
Thanks for this great recipe AND your site.
Marcia says
Your recipe comes at an opportune time. I was just ready to do in the Swiss Chard. I thought I planted the red stemmed one, but it came up the plain Jane variety.
Sarah Crump says
Hi, Kevin — I look forward to your greeting every week. I love Swiss chard, but if I can’t get it in the winter (I’m not sure), what could I use instead? Would I need any additional spices with a sub?
Thanks!
Sarah
Maraya says
I must try this recipe!
I’m on Chrome on my desktop, and the site looks complete and lovely – though the font and photos are a bit large. I bet it will be easy to read recipes on a tablet while cooking.
Kattrinka says
Purty!!
Cindi Nicholson says
Very nice! Sharing with the farmers market people! Yummy
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Sarah – Kale would be a fine substitute for Swiss chard during the winter months. Enjoy!
Hi Cindi – Share away!
Elke Pfliegl-Richard says
I’m with you Kevin, Swiss chard is just the prettiest thing in the veggie patch right now. Love make ahead stratas and will definitely be trying this one. Thanks 🙂
Trudi says
Our favorite grandson (we have only one) often likes to cook Sunday breakfast .I will save this for him to experiment with….. or maybe not .He won’t be back for several weeks and i’m not sure i want to wait that long. I sorta agree about the font . although to tell the whole truth i have to use a magnifying glass anyway. but thin IS harder for aging eyes to read. We old folks LOVE your recipes .the blueberry bars for Fourth of July were a real hit . naturally
LindaMarie says
Connie, I am with you. I just laughed out loud! He is so funny!
Judy Best says
I really appreciate when the recipe is enclosed with “PRINT” in the corner. Thanks.
Joanne says
The new website looks fantastic, Kevin! Congrats, and thanks for doing so much work and investment for us!
I’ll be making the vegetarian spinach and cheese strata this week; thanks for suggesting it.
Diane R. says
I will make this strata soon…looks delish! BTW, I have an iMac and safari is my browser.
Everything looks great. Very clean, neat & easy to navigate.
Susan Wolfe says
Love to get your emails every week — thank you so much for sharing!! I notice that you don’t appear to be using a 9 by 13 pan — is your dish measured in quarts? If so, what size is a good substitution for a 9 by 13?
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Susan – You can use any baking dish that will hold 3 quarts. Enjoy the strata!
gloria says
I made this for Christmas Brunch!
Big Hit and four of us devoured our portions- With a generous portion to enjoy the next day.
Thank YOU!
Maraya says
This is a deconstructed/reconstructed quiche! Will definitely make this soon.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Gloria – So glad you enjoyed this strata!
Hi Maraya – Yes, I guess a strata does resemble a quiche. Easier to make, though. No crust!
Cornelia Vick says
I can hardly wait to ty this. I look at Swiss Chard all the time in the
grocery, but I have never purchased. Love the colors. Thanks for
inspiring me. It looks so good……….
Martha Robinson says
This recipe looks wonderful, and I’ll be making it for Sunday brunch with my family. I must say though, that the highlight of the video for me was seeing your cute little Binky rescue kitty. I watched the videos when you got him, and I know it was touch and go at first, so to see him so healthy and happy warms my heart!
Helen Marioncu says
Hi Kevin,
Can you use frozen Swiss Chard instead of fresh? Is there a difference in the amount?
Toni O'Brien says
Only one thing to say: You create such…. can’t find the right word (delish, scrumptious, tasty, fine, awesome, attractive, simple, wholesome, delectable, nutritious, attractive, all of the above) dishes. I have tried so many and each time I think, this is it, the best yet and then another one comes along….
Well, keep ’em comin’ my friend, and thank you for all of them. I’m lovin’ them.
Johnetta Robinson says
Hi Kevin! How did I not know this website existed?? Awesomeness!! You really should have your own cooking show Thanks for all the wonderful recipes!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Toni – What a lovely comment. Thank you!
Hi Johnetta – You are too, too kind. Welcome aboard!