Monday, March 4, 2013

Panade, with Swiss Chard, Onion, and Cheddar Sausage

It's amazing when a leftover ingredient gets used up in a delicious way.  After I first tried Panzanella, I found it so marvelous that, come spring, I started freezing all my Good Bread** ends for summer salads.  But I didn't have a winter equivalent for the Good Bread leftovers until my spouse sent me a Buzzfeed article that included this link.  I was intrigued.  Not about the pumpkin, but what was inside.

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2013/03/panade-with-swiss-chard-onion-and.html

Panade.  Never heard of it.  I searched around the webs and found this version.  Apparently panade took the food blog world by storm a few years ago.  I can only assume it was during another deployment and I was not Creating Grand (farm fresh) Feasts, only making stuff the kids and I would eat--with very few leftovers.  Now that I'm blogging, what will I do with this next deployment?  I need suggestions.  So far I'm thinking a Farm Fresh For Fewer series.

This is a Grand Dish.  It takes a long time to bake (but a comparatively small amount of hands-on time) so I found it perfect for a Sunday supper.  Just like with panzanella in the summertime, panade takes leftover bread and turns it into a delicious new meal.  And with my Swiss chard growing like crazy in the garden, it provides me with a great way to use a readily available green.  I switched it up a bit and added some 'we're never going to eat this for breakfast so why not toss it in?' leftover cheddar sausage links to the finished dish.  Everyone went back for seconds.  If you missed this one a while back, do try this at home.

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2013/03/panade-with-swiss-chard-onion-and.html


**Good bread for me is La Brea Bakery Whole Grain Loaf.  I usually buy it in a two-pack at Costco but have seen it in my local grocery stores in both Virginia and Ohio.  Any dense chewy whole grain bread is Good Bread in my book, though. If you'd like to make your own at home, I recommend my Multigrain Sourdough Bread.
For other recipes using Swiss Chard, please see my Swiss Chard Recipe Collection, part of my Visual Recipe Index.
http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2013/03/panade-with-swiss-chard-onion-and.html

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2013/03/panade-with-swiss-chard-onion-and.html
Love my Benriner.  Buy one at an Asian grocery store. $30, tops.

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2013/03/panade-with-swiss-chard-onion-and.html
At this point I decided I needed more chard and went out to the garden for a few more stems.
http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2013/03/panade-with-swiss-chard-onion-and.html
Toss the bread cubes in oil.
http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2013/03/panade-with-swiss-chard-onion-and.html
Add half of the onions.
http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2013/03/panade-with-swiss-chard-onion-and.html
Add half of the bread. 
http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2013/03/panade-with-swiss-chard-onion-and.html
Add half of the chard, the cheese, and the sausage.
http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2013/03/panade-with-swiss-chard-onion-and.html
Repeat the layers. 
http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2013/03/panade-with-swiss-chard-onion-and.html
Pour the hot broth into the dish.

Panade, with Swiss Chard, Onion, and Cheddar Sausage

3 large onions, thinly sliced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 extra large bunch chard, stems finely chopped, leaves sliced into ribbons
6 cups cubed leftover Good Bread, tossed with 3 Tablespoons olive oil and a healthy pinch of salt
2 cups grated Gruyere cheese
2 Tablespoons butter
2-3 cups broth (mine was chicken, but veggie, beef, or turkey would all work)
6 leftover cheddar breakfast sausage links (optional)


Heat a pretty purple pot or heavy skillet over medium heat and add a turn of oil.  Stir the onions in the hot oil and cook until softened, about 10 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium-low, add garlic, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are browned--another 15 minutes.  Sprinkle with a healthy (1/2 teaspoon) pinch of salt.  Set aside.
While the onions are caramelizing, preheat a large skillet over medium heat and add a turn of oil.  Sauté the Swiss chard stems for 5 minutes until slightly softened.  Add leaves and stir until wilted, another 3-5 minutes.  Realize it's not enough.  Get more from the garden and repeat the process. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
While the Swiss chard and onions are cooking and you're at the stove anyway and/or if you've got some and feel like adding it, brown 6 links of cheddar breakfast sausage in a small skillet over medium heat.  Chop into small pieces, set aside.
Pop the butter in a deep casserole dish and melt it in the preheating oven.  Layer half the onions across the bottom of the dish.  Top with half of the bread cubes, half of the chard, half the optional sausage, and half the cheese.  Press down with the back of a handy spatula.  Repeat layers.
Heat the broth (I did 2 minutes in the microwave) and pour over the panade until you can see the liquid peeking out under the top layer.  Press the layers down into the broth.
Cover with non-stick pan lining paper (parchment side down, foil side up) and bake for 90 minutes until lightly browned.  Remove the cover, return to the oven, increase heat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and continue baking until nicely browned, about 15-20 more minutes.  Serve.  Leftovers (of this dish of leftovers!) are delicious too.

This post is linked up with the Wednesday Fresh Foods Link Up at Gastronomical Sovereignty,  What's Cookin' Wednesday at Buns in My Oven, What's In The Box at In Her Chucks, Taste and Tell Thursdays, Food On Friday and the newly-expanded Farm Girl Blog Fest at Let This Mind Be In You.
http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2013/03/panade-with-swiss-chard-onion-and.html
This is what it looked like after 90 minutes when I removed the cover.

22 comments:

  1. I apologize if you get a double post – everything went wonky when I posted a comment the first time.

    I have been making panade without even knowing it had a name! We made a stuffed pumpkin a few times after friends told us about a story they heard on NPR. They made it and loved it, so we had to try it too. I have been meaning to make it again, and I even have a sugar pumpkin ready to use. I never thought about baking the filling in a casserole dish instead of the pumpkin. Now I have an alternative for when the pumpkin is gone! Thanks for posting – this looks fabulous!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sarah,
      Your comment came through just fine on this end--I'm sorry you had trouble.

      I have a couple of sugar pumpkins left in my Winter Squash Reserve and wouldn't you know, it never occurred to me to bake a panade inside one of them. It was so delicious just in a casserole pan that you can't go wrong with that when you run out.

      Thanks!

      Delete
  2. Replies
    1. Jen,
      Thanks--it sure tastes great.
      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  3. Oh wow! I've never heard of panade before, but this looks amazing!! Of course, how can anything using crusty bread and cheese be bad, right? ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Heather,
      I love bread and cheese, and have lived on it many a time in many a country. But when the bread is old and dried out . . . . panade is my new wintertime BFF. I'm keeping this blog clean . . .

      Thanks!

      Delete
  4. Kirsten, thank you for your recent visit to Carole's Chatter and leaving such an interesting comment. I hope life is treating you well. I was already following you by Google Reader but have added GFC as well now. Have a good week.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Carole,
      You're so tech savvy! I have no idea what Google Reader and GFC are, but thank you!

      I love to read your chatter--I learn something new every week!

      Delete
  5. This is very interesting, kind of reminds me of thanksgiving stuffing. I will definitely have to try it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sherri,
      My dad's old colleague, Mrs Loomis, made a very wet stuffing for thanksgiving, but I prefer a cornbread stuffing these days. Do try this--it's delicious.

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  6. Well if that panade tastes as good as it looks then this is defiantly one to have a go at, thanks for the easy to follow recipe and pictures

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Phil,
      You're very welcome. This is a delicious dish, and I'm actively hoarding my day old good bread to make it again.

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  7. Very nice indeed, and this looks one of those meals where you can get two or more meals from it. Let me say it again. Very nice indeed. I'm digging the Farm Fresh Feasts for Fewer series. I'll be joining your ranks soon. My Hubby just got accepted to Pharmacy school in Erie, PA, so we'll be commuting for a few years. Fingers crossed on the promotion.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Meghan,
      Congrats to your hubby! There's a sled hockey team in Erie, if he skates and/or volunteers.
      This made leftovers that I even shared with my folks--the gift that keeps on giving.

      Really, that's what I need--someone to eat my leftovers. Jen at Savory Simple has started a Leftovers Club but it's for excess that can be shipped--not most of my cooking.

      Thanks!

      Delete
  8. I just squirreled this recipe away on my Pinterest board for later. Looks awesome! I bet it would be super good with veggie sausage too! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Shannon,
      This would be great with a veggie sausage or even without anything more than the bread, greens, onions, cheese--and a veggie broth. It's just that good.

      Thanks!

      Delete
  9. Wow--another YUMMY sounding dish! *swoon* Pinned this one too!

    Thanks for sharing at the Farm Girl Blog Fest today!

    ~Kristi@Let This Mind Be in You

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kristi,
      Thanks--this is a great dish that is really more than the sum of its parts, if that makes any sense.

      Thanks for hosting your even bigger and better blog hop!

      Delete
  10. I always have leftover bread - this sounds great!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Deborah,
      I do too-and this is my favorite winter use, though I'm looking forward to panzanella this summer.
      Thanks for hosting!

      Delete
  11. Hooray for swiss chard! I just received a new batch in my box today and this looks like the perfect recipe.

    Thanks for sharing and linking up!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Heather--you're so very lucky!
      Please let me know how it turns out.
      Thanks for hosting!

      Delete