Swiss Chard au Gratin French Bread Pizzas Recipe

Swiss Chard au Gratin French Bread Pizzas Recipe

Leftover Roasted Garlic Paste is wonderful in other dishes, such as chorizo stew, roasted butternut and zucchini chili, or steak and mushroom barley soup.

• Kosher salt
• 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 pounds Swiss chard or rainbow chard (about 3 to 4 large bunches)
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/3 batch Roasted Garlic Paste (recipe below) or 2 roasted garlic heads
• 2 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• One 24-inch loaf of French bread, or 2 small loaves (about 3 inches wide)

Roasted Garlic Paste:

• 6 whole heads garlic, tops sliced off to expose the cloves
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 3 tablespoons honey
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper

1. Move an oven rack to the center and preheat the oven to 400F.
2. In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil. Remove stems from the Swiss chard but keep the leaves whole. Pack the leaves into the boiling water and cook 10 minutes. Drain in a colander, cool briefly under running water, drain again, then wrap the leaves in a kitchen towel and press to remove excess moisture. Chop the squeezed leaves.
3. While the chard drains, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook, whisking, for about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk and season lightly with salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Simmer gently until thick enough to coat a spoon. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Stir in 1/3 cup of the Roasted Garlic Paste.
4. Spread half the chopped Swiss chard in a medium casserole dish. Top with half the garlic sauce and half the cheese. Repeat with the remaining chard, sauce, and cheese, finishing with a cheese layer. Bake 15 minutes, then remove the dish and set the broiler to high.
5. Cut the French bread lengthwise and then crosswise to make four pieces about 12 inches each. Place the bread cut-side up and broil until slightly charred, about 1 minute. Brush with the remaining Roasted Garlic Paste. Spoon a quarter of the chard au gratin onto each bread piece and slice each into halves to serve.
6. You can prepare the chard au gratin ahead: cover and refrigerate the unbaked casserole. Bring to room temperature before baking as directed.

Roasted Garlic Paste

1. Preheat the oven to 425F. Arrange the garlic bulbs, cut side up, on a large piece of foil and drizzle with 1/4 cup EVOO. Wrap tightly and roast until very soft, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly, then squeeze the cloves from their skins into a food processor. Add the remaining EVOO and the honey; season with salt and pepper. Blend until smooth and transfer to a jar. (If you don't have a food processor, mash the roasted garlic with a fork.)