Ingredients:

• 5 cups French bread cubes (1/2- to 3/4-inch cubes)
• 2 pounds Swiss chard, or 10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed, and squeezed to get most of the moisture out
• 2 quarts salted water to boil Swiss chard
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 large shallots, minced, or 1 large onion, chopped or 1 leek, grated
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 pound Gruyere cheese, coarsely grated
• 1/8 pound Emmentaler (Swiss cheese), coarsely grated Note: May substitute Parmesan/cheddar for Gruyere/Emmentaler)
• 1/8 pound Appenzeller cheese, coarsely grated, optional
• 15 large eggs
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 tsp Maggi Seasoning (found in most supermarkets, used by Europeans for flavor, often instead of salt)
• 1/4 cup kirsch, optional
• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

Instructions:

1. The day before serving:
   Grease 8 (8-ounce) ramekins

2. Toast the bread cubes in the oven for 15 minutes, until crunchy, but not brown.

3. Wash the Swiss chard and tear off the leaves, removing the stem and large veins. Bring salted water to a boil, and add the chard for a minute or two. Drain. Squeeze as much water out of the chard as possible. If you are using frozen spinach instead of Swiss chard, squeeze as much water out of the thawed spinach as possible.

4. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat, and sauté the shallots, onions or leeks until somewhat translucent.

5. Add the chard or spinach. Salt and pepper to taste.

6. Grate the cheese.

7. Spread half of the cubed bread on the bottom of each ramekin.

8. Add 1 heaping tablespoon of the onion-chard/spinach mixture on top of the bread.

9. Sprinkle half of the grated cheese (Gruyere/Emmentaler, or Parmesan/Cheddar) on top of the onion-chard/spinach mixture.

10. Add the other half of the bread, then the onion-chard/spinach mixture, and the remaining cheese.

11. In a large bowl, crack the eggs. Add the milk, Maggi Seasoning, kirsch (if desired), Dijon mustard, and pepper to your taste. Whisk well.

12. Pour the egg mixture into each ramekin, filling just about to the top.

13. Cover the ramekins with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or freeze for up to two weeks.

14. The day you are serving the soufflé:
    An hour before you are ready to serve the soufflé, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

15. Place the ramekins in the oven, directly on the rack, and bake for 45 minutes or until lightly browned.

16. Serve immediately before the soufflé deflates.