Ingredients
1 ready made pie crust
1/2-pound raw pork chorizo
1 large onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large head Swiss chard, washed, chopped and deveined
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened vanilla cashew milk
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 ounces sharp Irish cheddar, shredded
2 teaspoons Cholula hot sauce
1 pinch nutmeg, a few shakes
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350F In a large skillet, remove the sausage from its casing, break up with a wooden spoon and let thoroughly cook through. Remove from skillet and set aside.
To the same skillet, remove all the excess pork fat except for about 1 tablespoon. Add the onions and cook about 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, salt and pepper to taste, and cook another 2 minutes. Add the chard and cover until it properly wilts, about 5 minutes. Remove the cover from the skillet and cook until all the liquid has evaporated.
While the liquid evaporates, in a saucepan, add the butter and let it melt. Sprinkle the flour on top of the butter and let brown, about 1 minute. Add the milk and whisk until smooth. Add the mustard, nutmeg and hot sauce and let cook about 5 minutes until it boils. Add the cheese and stir it in a figure-8 motion until it’s all melted. Let the sauce thicken about 2 minutes and remove from heat.
In a small skillet, add the olive oil and panko and let toast. This will only take about 5 minutes.
In a proper tart pan or a pie plate, roll out the crust and, poke a lot of holes all around to prevent the crust from bubbling up. Add the first layer of chard, followed by the chorizo. Pour the cheese sauce over the whole thing and then top with the panko breadcrumbs. Bake for 45-60 minutes
Key Points About Ingredients:
- Raw pork chorizo provides bold smoky spice and renders enough fat to sauté the aromatics, eliminating the need for extra oil in that step.
- Swiss chard is a nutrient-dense leafy green packed with vitamins K, A, and C; removing the tough stems and thoroughly wilting it ensures a tender, non-watery filling.
- Unsweetened vanilla cashew milk creates a lighter béchamel than heavy cream while adding a subtle sweetness that balances the heat from the Cholula hot sauce.
- Sharp Irish cheddar, like Kerrygold, melts smoothly into the sauce and contributes a tangy, grassy richness that pairs beautifully with the smoky chorizo.
- Panko breadcrumbs toasted in olive oil add a satisfying crunch on top that contrasts the creamy, soft filling beneath.
Key Nutritional Insights:
- Each serving provides a meaningful amount of protein from the chorizo and cheddar, supporting satiety and muscle maintenance.
- Swiss chard is one of the richest plant sources of vitamin K, contributing significantly to bone health and blood clotting support per serving.
- The cashew milk base keeps saturated fat lower than a traditional cream-based béchamel, making this pie slightly lighter without sacrificing creaminess.
- Chorizo is high in sodium, so seasoning with salt cautiously and tasting as you go is important to keep overall sodium in check.
- The combination of chard and chorizo delivers a solid dose of iron per serving, especially beneficial when paired with the vitamin C naturally present in the chard.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size1
- Amount per serving
- Calories420
- Standard DV% Daily Value*
- Total Fat27 g72 g37.5%
- Saturated Fat10 g20 g50%
- Trans Fat0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat3 g
- Monounsaturated Fat12 g
- Cholesterol58 mg300 mg19.33%
- Sodium780 mg2300 mg33.91%
- Total Carbohydrate28 g275 g10.18%
- Dietary Fiber2 g28 g7.14%
- Total Sugars3 g
- Added Sugars0 g50 g0%
- Sugar Alcohal0 g
- Protein18 g50 g36%
- Vitamin D (Cholecalciferol)4 mcg20 mcg20%
- Calcium210 mg1300 mg16.15%
- Iron3 mg18 mg16.67%
- Potassium420 mg4700 mg8.94%
- Vitamin A3200 mcg900 mcg355.56%
- Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)18 mg90 mg20%
- Vitamin E (Tocopherol)1 mg15 mg6.67%
- Vitamin K180 mcg120 mcg150%
- Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)0.3 mg1.2 mg25%
- Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)0.3 mg1.3 mg23.08%
- Vitamin B3 (Niacin)3.5 mg16 mg21.88%
- Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)0.4 mg1.7 mg23.53%
- Folate48 mcg400 mcg12%
- Vitamin B12 (Cobalamine)0.6 mcg2.4 mcg25%
- Biotin4 mcg30 mcg13.33%
- Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid)0.7 mg5 mg14%
- Choline65 mg550 mg11.82%
- Phosphorus260 mg1250 mg20.8%
- Iodine14 mcg150 mcg9.33%
- Magnesium42 mg420 mg10%
- Zinc2.2 mg11 mg20%
- Selenium18 mcg55 mcg32.73%
- Copper0.2 mg0.9 mg22.22%
- Manganese0.5 mg2.3 mg21.74%
- Chromium3 mcg35 mcg8.57%
- Molybdenum8 mcg45 mcg17.78%
- Chloride420 mg2300 mg18.26%
