I’ve tried and enjoyed a recipe or two from Lidia Bastianich before, so I jumped on the opportunity to test out her cookbook,Lidia’s Favorite Recipes: 100 Foolproof Italian Dishes, from Basic Sauces to Irresistible Entrees when it came out back in 2012. I had some potatoes on hand via our CSA (community supported agriculture) and Swiss chard was on sale. So I thought Lidia’s Swiss Chard Potatoes would be a good starting point for trying the book. And if it came out well, I’d have a new healthy side dish in my repertoire!
We we quite pleased with the way Lidia’s Swiss Chard Potatoes came out. This dish is a nice change of pace to serve with beef. The Swiss chard potatoes has a similar consistency to regular mashed potatoes, but comes loaded with plenty of healthy chard too. This is a great recipe to save for when you’ve got a bunch of chard available from your local CSA or farmer’s market!
We first enjoyed Lidia’s Swiss Chard Potatoes as a side dish for roast beef. (in case your wondering, our favorite roast beef recipe would have to be Spoon Roast with Horseradish Cream!) The latest edition of Lidia’s Swiss Chard Potatoes were served up with as simple Italian-style roasted sirloin, shown below. Stay tuned for that tasty recipe!
Lidia’s Swiss Chard Potatoes
Lidia’s Swiss Chard Potatoes recipe is a creative and lightened version of mashed potatoes, relying on garlic and olive oil for flavor.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Swiss chard, rinsed
- 3 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered (
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the Swiss chard: use a sharp paring knife to remove the thick stems from the chard, then thinly slice the stems. Set aside in a pile. Coarsely chop the chard leaves, and set aside in a separate pile.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add the potatoes.
- After 20 minutes, add the sliced chard stems to the pot of boiling water. Cook the stems for 10 minutes, then add the chard leaves and boil for another 5 minutes. Drain in colander.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, cook about 1 minute until the begins to brown.
- Add the cooked chard and potatoes, season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring and gradually mashing the potatoes, until the liquid is absorbed and the potatoes are coarsely mashed. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir to combine the added olive oil and seasonings. Serve and enjoy as a substantial side dish.
We have continued to enjoy recipes from Lidia’s Favorite Recipes in addition to her Swiss chard potatoes. Consider grabbing a copy for a nice array of creative yet easy-to-make Italian recipes.
Full disclosure: I received a review copy of the book. My adventures with the recipe and opinions of my book are fully my own! This post contain Amazon affiliate links, which means I earn a commission if you choose to make a purchase using one of the links provided.
Rachel @ Simple Seasonal
This simple recipe sounds delicious! I have ample supply of potatoes and swiss chard at the moment, so good time for me with this post!
★★★★★
Cooking Chat
it’s a nice change of pace, both in terms of how to serve potatoes and something different to do with chard.