Here at Bon Appétit, we publish upwards of 40 recipes a month, and we’ve been doing that for, oh, more than 50 years now. We spend countless hours obsessively testing and tasting and tweaking them to make sure that every recipe is the best that it possibly can be. And while some are instant classics, there are inevitably many that fall between the cracks. Rediscovering one of these forgotten gems months, years, or even decades later is like finding a 20-spot in the dryer—you had it all along, but finding it fills you with unreasonable glee. These are our Sleeper Hits. And when we get excited about them, you know you’re going to hear about it.
The Swiss Chard and Mushroom Galette has become a running joke around our office. The digital team here at BA fell hard for this savory pastry from the first moment we laid eyes on it, but we soon learned that we were the only ones.
Every time we shared it on our social media feeds—Facebook and Twitter—it bombed. We were expecting a chorus of eager "oohs" and "aahs," but we got crickets. The internet had decided: It did not want a Swiss Chard and Mushroom Galette. "Why bother trying?" our co-workers eventually said with a shrug of their shoulders.
But why not? I asked then, and I ask you today. This galette embodies everything we love about food in general, and fall food specifically. First, it's ludicrously easy. Sure, you have to make a pie dough, but you get to bypass the entire stressful rolling-and-draping-delicate-dough-in-a-pie-pan experience. It's supposed to look rustic. And can we just spend a minute talking about that crust? It's buttery, it's flaky, and it somehow manages to still feel healthy (must be the whole wheat flour). People, this is an excuse to eat buttery pie dough for dinner. There are mushrooms, and, hello, who doesn't like mushrooms? They're meaty, hearty, and practically scream, "It's fall! Wrap me in a sweater and put some Ugg boots on me. Don't forget the PSL!" There is Swiss chard, which I happen to love, but isn't necessary. Swap it out for kale or spinach, if that's more your style. Still not convinced? There is ricotta cheese. Ricotta. Cheese.
Internet friends, I need your help. This galette needs your help. Prove that this recipe deserves all of the love and praise we've bestowed upon it. Make it this weekend, and eat it with a glass of good red wine. Reheat the leftovers for breakfast with your coffee. Make this galette, and, I swear, the only thing you'll regret is the fact that you didn't do it sooner.