Swiss Chard and Bacon Panini
By Julia Collin DavisonPublished on April 1, 2024
Time
1½ hours
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
⅔ cup cider vinegar 2 tablespoons sugar ½ teaspoon table salt, divided1 small fennel bulb, stalks discarded, bulb halved, cored, and sliced thin½ red onion, sliced thin pole to pole12 slices bacon 6 cloves garlic, minced1 pound Swiss chard, stemmed, chopped, and washed; leave leaves slightly wet¼ teaspoon pepper 8 (½-inch-thick) slices crusty bread 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 8 ounces thinly sliced deli mozzarella
Before You Begin
For the bread, we prefer to use large slices cut from a rustic boule.
Instructions
- Bring vinegar, sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt to simmer in small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Off heat, add fennel and onion and stir to combine. Cover and let cool completely, about 30 minutes. Drain and discard liquid.
- Working in 2 batches, cook bacon in 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat until crisp, 12 to 15 minutes; transfer to paper towel–lined plate. Add garlic to bacon fat left in skillet and cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chard and cook, stirring constantly, until wilted and tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl, season with pepper and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and let cool slightly.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet. Brush 1 side of each slice of bread with olive oil. Flip bread over (oiled side down) and assemble 4 sandwiches as follows: half of mozzarella, pickled fennel and onion, cooked chard, bacon, and remaining mozzarella. Top with remaining bread, oiled side facing up, and press gently on sandwiches to set.
- Wipe skillet clean with paper towels. Heat now-empty skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes. Place 2 sandwiches in skillet, reduce heat to medium-low, and set Dutch oven on top. Cook until bread is golden and crisp, 4 to 6 minutes per side, redistributing sandwiches as needed to ensure even browning.
- Transfer sandwiches to prepared rack and keep warm in oven. Wipe skillet clean with paper towels and repeat with remaining 2 sandwiches. Serve.
Time
1½ hoursYield
Serves 4Ingredients
⅔ cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon table salt, divided
1 small fennel bulb, stalks discarded, bulb halved, cored, and sliced thin
½ red onion, sliced thin pole to pole
12 slices bacon
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound Swiss chard, stemmed, chopped, and washed; leave leaves slightly wet
¼ teaspoon pepper
8 (½-inch-thick) slices crusty bread
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces thinly sliced deli mozzarella
Ingredients
⅔ cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon table salt, divided
1 small fennel bulb, stalks discarded, bulb halved, cored, and sliced thin
½ red onion, sliced thin pole to pole
12 slices bacon
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound Swiss chard, stemmed, chopped, and washed; leave leaves slightly wet
¼ teaspoon pepper
8 (½-inch-thick) slices crusty bread
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces thinly sliced deli mozzarella
Ingredients
⅔ cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon table salt, divided
1 small fennel bulb, stalks discarded, bulb halved, cored, and sliced thin
½ red onion, sliced thin pole to pole
12 slices bacon
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound Swiss chard, stemmed, chopped, and washed; leave leaves slightly wet
¼ teaspoon pepper
8 (½-inch-thick) slices crusty bread
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces thinly sliced deli mozzarella
Why This Recipe Works
For a warm, hearty sandwich complete with crusty bread and gooey melted cheese, nothing beats a good panini. For a new take on this classic sandwich, we sautéed Swiss chard with a handful of chopped garlic, then layered it into the sandwich alongside crispy bacon and a mixture of pickled onions and fennel. Using our trusty cast-iron skillet, we pressed the sandwiches under a heavy Dutch oven as they cooked to create perfectly pressed panini. In order to make four sandwiches, we found it necessary to cook them in batches and keep the first batch warm in the oven.
Before You Begin
For the bread, we prefer to use large slices cut from a rustic boule.
Instructions
- Bring vinegar, sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt to simmer in small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Off heat, add fennel and onion and stir to combine. Cover and let cool completely, about 30 minutes. Drain and discard liquid.
- Working in 2 batches, cook bacon in 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat until crisp, 12 to 15 minutes; transfer to paper towel–lined plate. Add garlic to bacon fat left in skillet and cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chard and cook, stirring constantly, until wilted and tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl, season with pepper and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and let cool slightly.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet. Brush 1 side of each slice of bread with olive oil. Flip bread over (oiled side down) and assemble 4 sandwiches as follows: half of mozzarella, pickled fennel and onion, cooked chard, bacon, and remaining mozzarella. Top with remaining bread, oiled side facing up, and press gently on sandwiches to set.
- Wipe skillet clean with paper towels. Heat now-empty skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes. Place 2 sandwiches in skillet, reduce heat to medium-low, and set Dutch oven on top. Cook until bread is golden and crisp, 4 to 6 minutes per side, redistributing sandwiches as needed to ensure even browning.
- Transfer sandwiches to prepared rack and keep warm in oven. Wipe skillet clean with paper towels and repeat with remaining 2 sandwiches. Serve.
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