Lidia’s Swiss Chard Potatoes recipe is a creative alternative to typical mashed potatoes as a side dish for beef or other meat. This article was originally published in October 2012, when we received a review copy of the cookbook Lidia’s Favorite Recipes. We recently made the dish again, and updated the recipe and the photographs.
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.
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!
Ingredients
You just need a few basic ingredients to make these Swiss chard potatoes! Below are the key ingredients with some notes.
Swiss chard: There are at least 12 varieties of Swiss chard. At grocery store, I typically see three types of chard– green, red and rainbow. I have tried all three with this recipe and they all work fine. I don’t find a big difference in flavor among the different types, so I would say any type of Swiss chard will work with this recipe. For more ideas about chard, check out this Cook Local podcast episode with Amy Katz, where it was one of the main veggies we discussed.
Potatoes: I prefer yellow potatoes for this recipe as they mash nicely. But you could go with russet potatoes or red potatoes if you like.
Extra virgin olive oil provides the fat instead of butter you might typically use in mashed potatoes. A healthy swap!
Garlic brings some good Italian flavor to this recipe!
Step by step
Below find a visual step by step overview for how to make these Swiss chard potatoes. Scroll down to the recipe card for all the details.
Prepare the Swiss chard
Rinse the Swiss chard leaves and place on a cutting board as shown above. Slice the leaves away from the thick stems, then chop the leaves and stems separately, so you wind up with a bowl of the chard leaves and a pile of chopped stems, as shown below.
Chop the potatoes, the add to a pot of boiling water.
Add the chard stems to the boiling water with the potatoes, after the potatoes have been boiling for 20 minutes. Boil for 10 more minutes before adding the chard leaves.
Add the chard leaves to the boiling water with the potatoes and stems. Boil for another 5 minutes.
Drain the potatoes and the chard after the chard leaves have boiled for 5 minutes with the potatoes.
Add olive and garlic to a skillet, and sauté the garlic for about a minute, until it becomes fragrant.
Add potatoes and chard to the skillet, stir to combine with the garlic and olive oil.
Stir and gradually smash the potatoes with the edge of the spoon. Keep the heat on medium low as you stir the chard and potatoes.
Finish the Swiss chard potatoes by adding a bit more olive oil if needed to get to desired consistency, along with salt and pepper to taste.
What to serve with these potatoes
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!) Another edition of Lidia’s Swiss Chard Potatoes was served up with simple Italian-style roasted sirloin, shown below.
For more recipes to serve with these Swiss chard potatoes, check out our Beef Recipes in the Oven and the Grilled Steak collection here for more ideas.
PrintRecipe card
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
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegan
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.
- Boil the potatoes: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add the potatoes.
- Add the chard: 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.
- Start garlic in skillet: 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. Add a bit more olive oil if needed to achieve desired consistency. Serve and enjoy as a substantial side dish.
Notes
- I like to use yellow potatoes for mashing in recipes like this, but other types such as russet would work.
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.
Kim
I love this recipe! I made it with kale and it was very satisfying. Lower calorie count helps satisfy my potato habit.
Cooking Chat
Glad you liked it, Kim! I assume you just swapped the kale in for the chard and otherwise prepared the same?