What to do when hubby shops at Costco and brings back two big loaves of french bread to have with dinner? Well since there are only two or three of us eating, that’s a lot of extra bread! There’s always the option to freeze it, but if I do, it will just languish there in the freezer, taking up space and collecting frost until one day I decide to throw it out. No, I’m in a ‘let’s not waste it’ mode, so I thought I’d try a strata for breakfast. We were in the mood for something hearty and warm on this rainy Sunday morning. While I’ve enjoyed stratas before, I had never made one., as we usually opt for quiche or even crustless quiche-type egg casseroles. But with one and a half loaves of two-day old bread in the cupboard, I was ready to give the strata a go. With a bag of organic spinach from our favorite local farm CSA pick-up, plus an extra dozen eggs in the fridge and a chunk of Gruyere, I figured why not? I looked at a half dozen recipes and combined elements to create a dish out of what I had on hand. SO GOOD!
So, so, so happy with the result! Absolutely a delicious breakfast, brunch, or even dinner. In fact, I’m not sure I can stop eating this! I’m sure it will be just as good made with kale, chard, or another type of leafy green, but the spinach has a mild flavor that works perfectly with the flavor of the Gruyere cheese. I don’t think it even needed the ham, but I was trying to use it up, so next time I think we’ll make a vegetarian version.
The point is that this is a flexible recipe, so use what you like and give it a try!
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A delicious (and easy) dish perfect for a Sunday brunch or holiday breakfast, as it can be completely assembled ahead of time. But it can also be made the same day. Just allow about half an hour for it to sit before baking so the bread can absorb some of the custard mixture.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces crusty French, Italian, or sourdough bread, cut into cubes (about 3 cups cubed)
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1 medium white or yellow onion, chopped
- 1 large bunch spinach (about 9 ounces), washed, dried and chopped
- 1.5 cups shredded Gruyere cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 5 ounces smoked ham, cut into cubes or small slices
- 1 1/2 cup cream
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
Instructions
- Butter a 9×13 casserole baking dish.
- Melt butter in a large saute pan. Saute onions until soft and starting to brown slightly. Cook them slowly, allowing them to caramelize a bit.
- Add the spinach to the onions and cook until wilted and soft.
- Layer half the bread cubes on the bottom of the dish.
- Sprinkle about a half a cup of cheese over the bread crumbs
- Distribute the spinach and onion mixture over the bread cubes and cheese. (I find I need to use my fingers to separate clumps of spinach and spread it around fairly evenly)
- Add the ham pieces, trying to evenly distribute them over the spinach mixture.
- Sprinkle a cup of the shredded cheese over the spinach and ham.
- Layer the rest of the bread cubes evenly on top.
- Whisk the eggs, cream, milk and seasonings together until well blended. Pour the custard mixture evenly over the casserole, making sure to get all the bread cubes coated.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.
- Cover and allow to sit at room temperature for half an hour before baking. Or cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours before baking
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Bake the casserole, covered in foil, for about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 30 to 45 minutes, or until the casserole is puffed up and the custard is set. Test it by inserting the tip of a sharp steak knife. It should be moist, but not liquidy.
- Remove from the oven and allow to rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
- Enjoy!!
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