Chilean Swiss Chard Gratin — Homemade Acelgas Gratinadas Recipe

Versión en Español

Chilean Swiss chard gratin, or acelgas gratinadas, is blanched chard leaves rolled around a sofrito of garlic, onion, red bell pepper, and grated carrot bound with white sauce, covered with more sauce and parmesan, and baked until golden. It takes 30 minutes of preparation and 30 minutes of cooking, and serves 6.

It is a healthy, delicious, and easy dish, and the filling is very versatile, so you can add chicken or mushrooms.

How to Make Swiss Chard Gratin?

The chard leaves are blanched for a few seconds to make them pliable. A vegetable sofrito is mixed with part of a white sauce made from butter, flour, and milk, rolled up in the leaves, covered with the rest of the sauce and grated parmesan, and baked at 220°C (428°F).

Nutritional Information

Each serving of Swiss chard gratin contains approximately 400 kcal, 16 g of protein, 30 g of fat, 18 g of carbohydrates, 6 g of sugars, 3 g of fiber, and 500 mg of sodium. These values are estimates and may vary depending on ingredients and portion sizes.

Homemade Chilean Swiss Chard Gratin Recipe

Preparation: 30 minutes
Cooking: 30 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 bunch of Swiss chard
• 1 liter (4 cups) of whole milk
• 200 g (2 cups) of grated parmesan
• 100 g (¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon) of flour
• 80 g (5½ tablespoons) of butter
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 onion
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 carrot
• Olive oil
• Dried oregano
• Ají de color (Chilean paprika) or merkén
• Fresh cilantro
• Fine salt
• Black pepper

Instructions

1. Wash the chard in cold water, dip it into a pot of boiling water for about 5 seconds, and immediately plunge it into cold water. Drain in a colander. In a large pot, heat olive oil with the chopped garlic over medium heat, add the sliced onion, the bell pepper in strips, and the grated carrot, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 10 minutes.

2. In a medium pot, melt the butter over medium heat, add the flour, and stir until it absorbs the butter and looks sandy. Add the milk little by little, stirring until the mixture is smooth with no lumps.

3. Add the white sauce little by little to the vegetables, just enough to bind them. Lay the chard leaves on a clean surface, place 2 tablespoons of filling on each, and roll them up lengthwise along the stem. Repeat with all the filling.
4. Preheat the oven to 220°C (428°F) for at least 10 minutes, with the grill on if available. Spread a little oil and white sauce on the bottom of a baking dish, arrange the chard rolls without pressing, and cover with the rest of the sauce.

5. Cover everything with the grated parmesan and sprinkle with oregano and ají de color or merkén. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until golden on top. Let cool for a few minutes and serve hot, garnished with fresh cilantro, with boiled potatoes or rice.

Additional Tips

Cook leaves and stems separately

The thin green leaves need half the cooking time of the thick white stems, so cook the stems separately and add them to the filling.

Thicken the sauce

Add the milk gradually and keep stirring over medium heat. If the sauce is too thin, cook it a few minutes longer.

Freeze before baking

Freeze the rolls covered in sauce but without the cheese gratin. Thaw in the fridge and bake with the cheese until golden.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can I use the chard stems?

Yes, but cook them separately, since the stems need twice the time of the thin green leaves. Use the leaves to wrap the rolls and add the cooked stems to the filling.

2. Why dip the chard leaves in boiling water?

Five seconds in boiling water and then cold water softens them without overcooking, so they become pliable and roll around the filling without tearing.

3. What other fillings can I use?

The base filling is an onion, bell pepper, and carrot sofrito bound with white sauce, but you can add chicken or mushrooms.

4. What do you serve with chard gratin?

Boiled potatoes or rice. Serve it hot, after resting a few minutes out of the oven, garnished with fresh cilantro.

What Are Acelgas Gratinadas?

Acelgas gratinadas are a Chilean home dish of chard rolls baked in béchamel and cheese, a comforting way to eat this abundant, inexpensive green, which is grown in gardens all over Chile.

Benefits of Swiss Chard

Swiss chard is rich in minerals, vitamin K, folate, and antioxidants, and its fiber supports digestion. It is also a source of iron, although plant iron is absorbed less than iron from meat.

Did You Know?

Swiss chard is native to the coasts of southern Europe and North Africa around the Mediterranean, and it is closely related to the beet.

Recommended

• Chilean Swiss Chard Bake Recipe
• Chilean Swiss Chard Omelette Recipe
• Chilean Swiss Chard Stew Recipe
• Homemade Potatoes au Gratin Recipe