Ah, Spring. The food, the warmer weather, the beautiful blooming flowers. It’s wonderful, no?
<ah-choo!>
OK, so Spring, while lovely in many ways, also brings out my seasonal allergies. It’s a reminder that flowers in bloom are great until the pollen and other stuff in the air makes for sneezy, wheezy days ahead. But you know what makes me feel better? Healthy food. No, seriously. I mean, as much as I love me a good, cheesy, gooey, pasta dish, or a slow-braised hunk of meat with lots of carbs on the side, there is something about Spring produce that just spurs me onto a healthier eating track. And in this case, fresh greens–like swiss chard–come a-callin’ every time I hit the farmer’s market.
With the nicer weather, I’m always eager to get out there and get my Vitamin D fix before the heat of Summer sets in, which means less time in the kitchen. I’m looking for recipes that can do double (or triple) duty for many different meals. While there are many different ways to use and reuse leftovers, this week I set my sights on this fantastic Swiss Chard Frittata. Fresh veggies, healthy eggs (yes, eggs are healthy again), and many sides and accompaniments to go with this dish made this a meal for many days this week.
And if you’ve followed or read any of my other recipes and posts in recent months, you’ve noticed that I have a trend of not exactly following recipes, but playing with them based on what may be in my fridge, freezer, pantry or outside my door. This recipe was no different. My ingenuity paid off, and now you get to benefit from that brainstorm, too. Lucky you! Springtime Swiss Chard Frittata for everyone!
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 8 people | 20 minute |
| Cook Time |
| 10 minutes |
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Is it breakfast? Is it brunch? Is it lunch? Or maybe dinner? Oh, who cares? It's just GOOD. I love that I was able to get this to turn out so easily on my first try--which means if I can do it, anyone can do it. Serve it up for any meal you want, but be sure to take the credit no matter what time of day it hits the table!
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- 1 large bunch Swiss Chard, finely chopped
- 8 oz. oyster mushrooms, finely chopped
- 4 large scallions (green onions), chopped
- 4 large eggs
- 2 egg whites
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
- 2 tbsp. fresh dill, finely chopped
- salt & pepper, to taste
- Wash and dry Swiss chard, and finely chop leaves and stems.
- Slice green onions and saute over medium high heat in large oven-proof skillet.
- Add chard and saute until leaves are wilted and stems begin to soften, about 10 minutes.
- Add salt & pepper to taste, and stir to incorporate into chard mixture. Remove chard from heat and set aside to cool.
- Heat pan over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp. olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add sliced mushrooms and saute until softened, about 8 minutes. Add mushrooms to chard mixture.
- As chard cools, mix eggs, egg whites, chopped dill, and salt & pepper to taste. Whisk to incorporate. Add ricotta and 1/4 c. of Parmesan, and whisk into egg mixture.
- Add chard and mushroom mixture to egg batter. Stir to incorporate.
- Preheat broiler to 500 degrees. Heat large skillet over medium heat. Pour frittata batter into skillet and, without stirring (this is important!), cook until batter sets up, about 8 minutes.
- Sprinkle remaining 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese over top of frittata. Place in broiler and cook for 5-8 minutes, or until frittata begins to brown.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool, about 5 minutes, before trying to remove it from the skillet. Using spatula, carefully separate edges of frittata from skillet to ensure it doesn't break apart.
- Either slide frittata out of skillet onto platter, or turn it out upside down onto platter, whichever works better (or which ever you're more comfortable with).
- Slice into 8 pieces and serve with fresh greens.
Ever see those greens at the store that look like spinach, but have colored stems? Sometimes red, sometimes orange, or even at times yellow? You've probably thought that someone got crazy with the food coloring. Think again! These wonderful greens are Swiss Chard, or Rainbow Chard (because of the colors--get it?). They are not as tough as kale can be, but not as tender as spinach. They are super versatile (my favorite kind of ingredient!), and can be used as a base for things like steamed fish or chicken, can be sauteed with garlic & shallots and served as a side, or chopped up and used for taste, texture, and the healthy goodness in this Spring Swiss Chard Frittata. And they're beautiful to boot!
Some people don't like to use the stems because they can be tough. Others remove the stems and use them later in vegetable stocks (great idea, by the way). But for this recipe, you can saute them with the greens and use every last bit of them in the frittata. It adds texture AND color. Just look at how Spring-y this dish is!
Perfect for a Mother's Day brunch, or a Derby Day luncheon, this frittata will wow your guests, and have great uses if there happen to be leftovers! I had a delicious breakfast sandwich the day after. You could also break up the frittata, warm it in a skillet, and roll it with salsa and avocado in a tortilla. Breakfast taco to go! Get creative, and enjoy the Spring veggies out there in this tasty frittata!
Yes, I for sure have the springtime sneezeies. Ugh. Your frittata is fabulous, and I say eat it anytime, all the time! Love the Swiss chard addition!
Ooohhh, this looks fantastic!! I totally hear you about spring bringing on healthier eating cravings. This is perfect for that!
Dee Dee …. I think your frittata would be perfect for my breakfast here. And those swiss chard… hmm..so festive the spring!
I totally agree about spring and healthier eats – it just feels right, lol. And this frittata is a thing of beauty! Great way to get tons of greens in.
This looks absolutely delicious! I love a good frittata now and then!
YUM! Love swiss chard! This frittata looks perfect 🙂
I love how the red chard stems make this frittata so colorful. I could have a breakfast food like this for any meal. Great recipe.
Its been so hard to be cooped up in the kitchen when it’s so gorgeous outside! This is a perfect quick & healthy supper idea.
What an insanely gorgeous frittata! I love the combination of ingredients you used. Swiss chard and oyster mushrooms just don’t get enough love. Yay for spring!
Dee Dee,
I grew up eating Swiss chard, so it’s home & mother comfort food to me. I think your frittata looks great–what a great way to enjoy this! I planted my chard seeds around Easter–last check they hadn’t appeared, but I did notice the peas planted at the same time were up yesterday. Must go investigate. One mild winter I had chard overwinter, and by the time I finally pulled the plant up after frost the following year the root was bigger than my wrist!