Spinach & Cheese Strata

Amarante

Tue, Apr 26 2022, 1:41 pm

A nice way to celebrate the return of bread LOL

What is essentially a savory cheesy bread pudding.

Best if you prepare and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight because it really needs time for the liquids to soak in so that it all become one delicious mess

Spinach & Cheese Strata

By Jennifer Segal (Once Upon A Chef) - inspired by this strata originally published in Gourmet Magazine

Layered with spinach, cheese, and bread, and soaked in a savory custard, this make-ahead strata is ideal for entertaining.

Servings: 8 to 10
Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 75 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour 45 Minutes, plus at least one hour to sit in the fridge

INGREDIENTS

1 pound bag chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed as dry as possible
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
3 garlic cloves, minced
12 ounces (¾ pound) Italian sandwich bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 11 slices or 8 cups)
6 ounces (1½ cups) coarsely grated Gruyère
2 ounces (⅔ cup) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
9 large eggs
2¾ cups half-and-half
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1¾ teaspoons salt
¾ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

INSTRUCTIONS

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and drained spinach and cook 2 minutes more. Set aside.

Butter a 3-quart or 9x13-inch baking dish. Spread one third of the bread cubes in the dish and top evenly with one third of spinach mixture. (Try to break it up as much as possible so there are no huge clumps of spinach.) Sprinkle with one third of each cheese. Repeat layering twice, ending with cheeses.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the half-and-half, mustard, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and whisk until well combined. Pour the custard mixture evenly over the strata. Cover the strata with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Bake the strata, uncovered, until puffed, set and golden brown all over top, 70-80 minutes. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes before serving. It will settle a bit as it cools.

Note: The cook time is based on the strata going immediately from the fridge to the oven. If it sits out at room temperature before baking, the cook time will be about 10 minutes less.