Creamed Swiss Chard With Bacon

Creamed swiss chard with bacon

​The Spruce

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 25 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings

Bacon, garlic, and a little onion add flavor to this dish of Swiss chard.

Swiss chard has long been one of my favorite vegetables because it's tasty and so easy to grow. Chard is related to beet greens, and the leaves are mild flavored, similar to spinach. Both the stalks and the leaves are edible.​

Swiss chard should be cooked in a nonreactive pan. Stainless steel or an enamel-lined saucepan or Dutch oven are good choices.

Ingredients

  • 2 bunches (about 2 pounds) Swiss chard, white ribbed or a mixture of colors like rainbow, red, yellow

  • 3 to 4 slices bacon, diced

  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

  • 1 clove garlic, mashed and finely minced

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 1 cup half-and-half, or whole milk

  • 1 pinch nutmeg

  • Kosher salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for creamed swiss chard with bacon
    ​The Spruce
  2. Wash chard and cut off thicker stems. Thinly slice the stems and chop leaves into 1/2- to 1-inch pieces.

    Wash chard
    ​The Spruce
  3. Steam or boil the stems for about 5 minutes.

    Steam or boil stems
    ​The Spruce 
  4. Then add chard and cook until wilted, about 4 minutes longer.

    Add chard
    ​The Spruce
  5. Drain well, squeezing out excess moisture if necessary.

    Cut
    ​The Spruce
  6. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook the diced bacon until crisp; remove and set aside.

    Cook bacon
    ​The Spruce
  7. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is tender.

    Add onion and garlic
    ​The Spruce 
  8. Stir in the cooked drained chard and the reserved bacon; set aside.

    Stir in drained chard
    ​The Spruce 
  9. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in the flour until smooth and bubbly.

    Melt butter
    ​The Spruce 
  10. Add the half-and-half or milk and nutmeg. Cook, stirring, until smooth and thickened. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

    Add half and half
    ​The Spruce
  11. Add about 1/2 of the sauce to the chard, stirring to blend.

    Add chard
    ​The Spruce 
  12. Stir in more or all of the remaining sauce mixture, as desired.

    Stir in remaining chard
    ​The Spruce
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
169 Calories
11g Fat
13g Carbs
7g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 169
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g 14%
Saturated Fat 6g 31%
Cholesterol 32mg 11%
Sodium 508mg 22%
Total Carbohydrate 13g 5%
Dietary Fiber 4g 13%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 29mg 144%
Calcium 140mg 11%
Iron 4mg 21%
Potassium 964mg 21%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)