This Creamed Swiss Chard recipe is the perfect healthy comfort food! It’s super frugal, and easily adapts to vegetarian, vegan, Whole30 & Paleo diets. Plus, kids love it! Pairs perfectly with Almond Crusted Baked Chicken!
I’m always looking for ways to get my family to eat more vegetables, but when winter comes, it’s HARD!
We enjoy squash in my Instant Pot Curried Butternut Squash Soup, and Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta Bake, and Delicata Squash Salad, but it’s nice to see some more green every now and then!
Swiss chard is really affordable in the cooler months, and aside from my caramelized onion and swiss chard side dish, this creamed swiss chard recipe is one of my family’s favorites!
Easy Creamed Swiss Chard Recipe
This side dish comes together REALLY fast, which is why it has been showing up on my meal plan lately. Plus, this recipe is:
- Frugal
- Kid-friendly (who doesn’t love bacon?!)
- Easy to adapt to be vegetarian, vegan, Whole30, and Paleo
- Comfort food, but healthy!
- Perfect for whatever main protein you’re making.
Pantry-friendly – just add swiss chard to your shopping list! I even made this as a side dish for Christmas one year and my in-laws LOVED it!
Healthy Creamed Swiss Chard Ingredients
You don’t need many ingredients to pull off this super easy and healthy creamed swiss chard recipe:
- Bacon (100% optional)
- Swiss Chard
- Butter (or ghee)
- Flour
- Garlic
- Spices: salt, pepper, sage, thyme, paprika
- Milk
- Coconut Milk
Is chard like spinach?
Yes and no. Spinach is in the lettuce category, while swiss chard is in the hearty greens category.
However, swiss chard is really mild in flavor, so you could easily use it in lieu of spinach in soups, casseroles or even omelets!
How to Cook Swiss Chard with Bacon
As you read the recipe, it might seem like there are a lot of steps, but it all boils down to this: you’re steaming the swiss chard and making the sauce in two pots. This delicious side dish comes together REALLY fast!
- Cook the bacon (if using) and steam the swiss chard.
- Make the creamy roux.
- Add the swiss chard to the sauce, stir, and serve!
Be sure to read the recipe below for all of the details and step-by-step instructions.
How to Cut Swiss Chard:
If you’ve never cut swiss chard before, here’s my super fast way to get it done:
- Place the piece with the largest leaf on a towel.
- Place the rest of the swiss chard on top, aiming to put the larger pieces on the bottom and smaller pieces on top. (This doesn’t have to be perfect, and you can do this in multiple batches, if necessary.)
- Starting with one side of the swiss chard, roll it tightly into itself, like you’d be rolling a towel.
- Starting at the top of the swiss chard (furthest away from the bottom of the stem), cut the chard into slices all the way down through the end of the stem.
What do I do with swiss chard?
Swiss chard has a milder flavor than collard greens or turnip greens, but you can cook them in similar ways.
If you don’t make this creamed swiss chard recipe, try my caramelized onion and swiss chard recipe – it’s also one of our favorites!
What’s the best way to eat swiss chard?
Every family is different, but we like to cook swiss chard. If you have it in a salad, a quick massage with a drizzle of dressing (similar to massaging kale in this kale, blueberry, and walnut salad recipe) will help to soften the leaves and remove the bitterness.
Swiss chard is also a great addition to a pasta recipes, raw or cooked!
What to Serve with Creamed Swiss Chard
Make these dishes with the creamed Swiss chard for a fast, healthy and affordable dinner:
Other Swiss Chard Recipes
- Savory Pasta with Onions and Greens
- Caramelized Onions and Swiss Chard
- Sautéed Swiss Chard with Parmesan
- Rainbow Chard Salad
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This Creamed Swiss Chard recipe is the perfect healthy comfort food! It’s super frugal, and easily adapts to vegetarian, vegan, Whole30 & Paleo diets. Plus, kids love it! Pairs perfectly with Almond Crusted Baked Chicken!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 Servings 1x
- Category: Main Meals
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 3–4 pieces bacon, cooked and diced (optional)
- 2 lbs swiss chard (any variety)
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp sage
- ½ tsp thyme
- ¼ tsp paprika
- 1 cup milk (any variety)
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk
Instructions
- If you choose to include the bacon, cook it in a skillet until crispy. Drain on a paper towel and reserve the bacon grease for future use. Dice the cooked bacon and set aside.
- Meanwhile, fill a large pot of water with 2” of water, bring it to a boil, and prepare a steaming basket. (Alternatively, you can steam using an Instant Pot.)
- As the water comes to a boil, slice the swiss chard into strips. (See notes below for the easiest way to do this.)
- When the water is boiling, steam the sliced swiss chard until it’s wilted, but still bright green – about 2-4 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- In a separate medium pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and stir well, cooking the flour for one minute.
- Add the garlic, salt, pepper, sage, thyme, and paprika and stir until the garlic is fragrant, about one minute.
- Slowly add the milk, whisking with each addition until you’ve created a thick sauce.
- Add the entire can of coconut milk and whisk well.
- Turn the heat to low, add the swiss chard and stir gently to combine. Add the cooked bacon (if using) and serve warm.
Notes
How to Cut Swiss Chard:
- Wash the swiss chard and place the piece with the largest leaf on a towel.
- Place the rest of the swiss chard on top, aiming to put the larger pieces on the bottom and smaller pieces on top. (This doesn’t have to be perfect, and you can do this in multiple batches, if necessary.)
- Starting with one side of the swiss chard, roll it tightly into itself, like you’d be rolling a towel.
- Starting at the top of the swiss chard, cut the chard into slices all the way down through the stem.
Nutrition
- Calories: 104
I can’t have coconut milk. Do you have a recommendation for either subbing it or would the recipe work to leave it out? Thanks!
Hi Jenn,
If you can have dairy, heavy cream works great! You can try subbing other nut milks but they will be a little runnier.
We are actually trying rainbow chard for the first time this week (Friday night’s dinner). We are using your recipe from an earlier post. We are trying to up our veggie game and try new and different veggies. We had baby bok choy last week and it is going on repeat on the menu. We will have to try this one next.