One of the best ways to save money and get the most nutrients out of your food is to eat in season. Many times we get stuck eating the same fruits and veggies that we always eat. Unfortunately, those fruits and veggies aren’t always in season, and they can get expensive. You can look up info online, or check out these interesting apps for finding out what is in season.

Today, I want to branch out a little and introduce you to what might be a completely new kind of vegetable in your world. Swiss Chard.

Swiss Chard is in season and, therefore, at it’s cheapest in June. It’s in the same family as spinach, quinoa, and beets, and it’s good for you! You can read more about swiss chard and ways to cook it here.

I’m going to share a throw together lasagna with swiss chard that I adapted from this recipe.

Swiss Chard Lasagna Recipe

 

1. Start off by rinsing and patting dry the swiss chard leaves.

2. Cut off the end of the stems (or cut off the whole stem if you want. The stem can be tougher to chew, especially for the kids).

3. Cut the leaves in to approximately 1 in. squares. If using stem, chop up smaller than what I did for easier chewing.

4. Heat up skillet and 3 tbsp oil on medium heat. Sauté minced garlic for 30 seconds.

5. Add cut up swiss chard. Stir then cover for 3-4 minutes. Add a splash of apple cider vinegar and/or lemon juice. Add salt to taste.

This would taste great on its own as a side dish for another meal.

 

For the cheese filling:

I didn’t have ricotta cheese so I used feta and some greek yogurt. I didn’t have mozzarella so I used monterey jack and parmesan. I can’t tell you the exact amount of each. I just shredded a good pile added 2 eggs and stirred in pepper, oregano, and basil. (Check out the recipe I linked to at the beginning if you need some more precise cheese ratios).

Cook lasagna noodles as directed on the box.

1. Start with a layer of sauce and add a layer of noodles.

2. Layer of sauce (someday I’ll post my sauce recipe).

3. Layer of cheese mixture.

4. Layer of cooked swiss chard. Keep doing that until you have made 3 layers of noodles, sauce, cheese, and swiss chard.

5. Top with a final layer of noodles and add shredded cheese. I was out of other cheese so this time I used colby jack (That’s the beauty of cooking, if you don’t take it too seriously, you can get away with whatever. Use what you’ve got when you can).

6. Cover with foil (make sure to tent the foil to keep cheese from sticking). Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil and cook for another 5 minutes.

Cut and enjoy!Even the kids liked it!