Chard Onion Gruyère Panade Bread Casserole Food

FRENCH ONION PANADE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325.
• Divide bread slices among 2 or 3 baking sheets. Spread bread out in a single layer, and toast for 20 minutes, then flip slices, and rotate pans to ensure even toasting. Toast until dried out and lightly golden, about 35 minutes total. Set aside. Increase oven temperature to 425, and adjust oven rack to center position.
• Set a large Dutch oven or similar pot over medium heat. Add 4 tablespoons butter and olive oil. When butter has melted, add onions and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Cook covered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
• Once the onions cook down a bit and release some liquid, remove lid and increase heat to medium high. Continue cooking and stirring regularly until onions are tender and dark golden brown, about 45 minutes total. Turn off heat, add vinegar and wine and stir to deglaze. Taste, and adjust salt and vinegar as needed - the onions should be sweet, savory and pleasantly tangy. Spoon onions into a heatproof bowl, and set aside.
• Return pot to stove. Add stock and 1 teaspoon salt, and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Taste, and adjust salt as needed - it should taste like good chicken soup.
• Place both cheeses in a medium bowl, and mix to combine.
• Butter the inside of a deep 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Line the bottom with a layer of toasted bread, breaking up pieces as needed to form a solid layer. Spoon half the onion mixture evenly over the bread. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese mixture, and season with pepper. Continue layering with bread, the remainder of the onions and another 1/3 of the cheese. Top off with a final layer of bread.
• Ladle 3 cups of stock over the panade, then wait a minute, and allow the bread to absorb liquid. Pressing down on panade with a metal spatula, add as much stock as the panade will absorb without overflowing. Dot the top layer of bread with remaining butter, then cover with parchment paper and foil. Place baking dish atop baking sheet to catch any overflow, then slide onto the center rack. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove foil and parchment, sprinkle with remaining cheese and return to oven for 15 minutes more. Bake until golden brown.
• Remove panade from oven, and allow it to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Cover, and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat to serve.

TOMATO, CHARD AND GRUYèRE CASSEROLE

Steps:

• In a large pot of boiling water, cook the chard for 2 minutes; drain. When the leaves are cool enough to handle, squeeze out the excess water. Coarsely chop the chard.
• In the same pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and thyme and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 12 minutes. Add the chard and the wine and simmer over moderately high heat until the wine is reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Preheat the oven to 400°. In a small saucepan, bring the stock to a simmer. Butter a 10-by-15-inch baking dish. Line the bottom of the dish with one-third of the bread, overlapping the slices slightly and cutting the bread to fit. Top with half of the tomato slices and season with salt and pepper. Spread half of the chard on top, then sprinkle with half of the cheese. Repeat the layering once and finish with the remaining bread. Pour the hot stock over the casserole and press with a spatula. Brush the top with the melted butter.
• Cover the dish with foil and bake in the upper third of the oven for 1 hour. Uncover the dish and bake for about 10 minutes longer, until the top is browned and crisp. Let the casserole rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.

THREE ONION PANADE

Steps:

• Melt 4 tbsp butter in a large heavy pot over medium low heat. Add the onions, leeks, shallots and a couple pinches of salt. Stir, and then cover pot and cook for 1 hour, stirring a few times. Onions will reduce by half and be very limp.
• Take lid off pot, add in sugar and crank pot up to high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 15 minutes. The juices will brown and stick to the sides of the pot. Use a wooden spoon to scrape browned bits back into the onions, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot as well. Once the onions have turned creamy and light brown in color turn the heat off and cover the pot.
• Heat oven to 350.
• Spread the cubed bread onto a baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted, about 15 minutes.
• Bring the stock to a boil. Add the bread to the onions and stir. Scrape bread and onion mixture into a wide casserole. Use the stock to rinse out the onion pot and then pour the stock into the casserole dish. Let rest for 5 minutes. The bread will have absorbed some of the stock, but there should still be enough to barely cover the bread. If not, add in some hot water.
• Spread the cheese over the top and sprinkle with brandy. Dot with the remaining butter. Bake in oven for 1 hour, or until cheese has formed a rich, dark crust.
• Spoon into bowls and serve hot.

CASSEROLE OF SWISS CHARD AND GRUYERE

Steps:

• Rinse the swiss chard, drain it and chop it fine.
• Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet. Add the onion, saute over medium heat until tender but not brown, then stir in the garlic. Add the scallions and tomatoes, then add the chopped swiss chard. Cook for about 15 minutes, until the swiss chard has wilted.
• Remove from heat, stir in all but two tablespoons of the cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Spoon the swiss chard mixture into a one-quart casserole. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake for about 30 minutes, then serve.