Spinach & Cheese Strata
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Layered with spinach, cheese, and bread, and soaked in a savory custard, this make-ahead strata is ideal for entertaining.
A strata is a layered casserole made with bread, eggs, cheese, and sometimes vegetables or meat (strata means layers). Think of it as a savory bread pudding or breakfast casserole. This spinach version is richly flavored with Gruyère, Parmesan, and Dijon mustard. It’s the perfect vegetarian brunch dish to feed a crowd. You do all of the preparation the night before, let the strata rest in the fridge overnight, then pop it in the oven in the morning. As it bakes, it puffs up like a cheese soufflé, making it a real showstopper. The strata does fall a bit as it cools, but it’s still impressive. For an elegant brunch, serve the strata with bacon (for perfectly crispy bacon, learn how to cook bacon in the oven), a strawberry & orange fruit salad, and mimosas.
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need To Make Spinach & Cheese Strata
Before we get started, a few words about the ingredients. It’s important to use good quality cheese. The recipe calls for a combination of Gruyère and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, but since they are both expensive, feel free to substitute other good melting cheeses with bold flavor, like extra-sharp cheddar. The recipe is pretty flexible, so you can play around with different sautéed vegetables depending on what you have on hand. Some cooked sausage or pancetta would be a nice addition; just be sure to reduce the salt in the recipe to a scant teaspoon or the strata will be way too salty.
Be sure to squeeze all of the water out of the spinach. Take your time; it’s important to get it all out or the strata will be watery.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat.
Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the spinach and garlic and cook a few minutes more.
Layer a third of the cubed bread in a buttered 3-quart or 9×13-inch baking dish.
Top with a third of the spinach.
Followed by a third of each cheese.
Repeat layering twice, ending with the cheese.
Make the custard by combining the whisked eggs, half-and-half-Dijon mustard salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Whisk evenly to combine.
Pour evenly over top of the strata, then cover and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.
Bake for about 70 to 80 minutes, until puffed, set and golden all over.
Note: My starting point for this recipe was this popular strata originally published in Gourmet magazine. I increased the spinach; amped up the flavor by adding garlic and increasing the salt; swapped the milk for half-and-half; and reduced the baking temperature from 350°F to 325°F for a creamier texture.
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Spinach & Cheese Strata
Layered with spinach, cheese, and bread, and soaked in a savory custard, this make-ahead strata is ideal for entertaining.
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.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Calories: 483
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated fat: 16g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Sugar: 4g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 25g
- Sodium: 1117mg
- Cholesterol: 280mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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The Spinach Cheese Strata is my traditional brunch dish for Christmas morning! It’s absolutely delicious and easy to make the night before. I follow Jen’s recommendation and serve it with the strawberry orange fruit salad. So yummy. Don’t know what I would do without Jen’s recipes…it’s always my go-to!!!
This is one of my favorite brunch recipes and I’m always asked to bring it! I admittedly don’t usually measure anything and probably use a bit more salt, also throw a little red pepper flake in with the spinach when it’s sautéing. I’ve made it with ciabatta and on the rare occasion I have some leftover challah, but no matter what I do it is always a hit.
Can this strata be assembled ahead then baked the next day?
Sure, Liza – that should be fine. Enjoy!
I am having people over for World Cup FINAL game and it’s at 8am (What was I thinking?). In any case, thinking of making 2 of these but wanted to sub chorizo fot spinach on one of them. Do you think it would work? Would I need to change cooking time?
Hi Nancy, I’d check out my Savory Sausage and Cheddar Bread Pudding and use that recipe instead. Hope that helps!
I have made this delicious strata several times for guests – it ‘s always a hit! I bake it in 2 dishes, so that I can freeze one for a later use. Last time I made it, I subbed small florets of broccoli for the spinach – WOW! Added crunch and great flavor… also the salad spinner works very well to get all the moisture out. I admit that squeezing spinach is somewhat messy. This is in my regular rotation for brunch served to guests. Since it’s a make-ahead, it’s really easy… fresh fruit and perhaps yogurt is all you need to complete the meal
Hi jenn, Do I need to cover with foil to bake? I want to make for mother’s day Thanks again
Hi Fanny, the strata does not need to be covered. Hope you enjoy!
I am shocked that so many people like this recipe. I felt like it was going to be bland but thought I would give it a shot. It was a bland, bready mess. Just had no flavor and I even added extra garlic and spinach. We all politely ate a piece and then I promptly threw away the rest of it. Yuk. I would give less than one star if possible.
So sorry this didn’t work out for you.
I don’t think you review was necessary. If you hated it, you should have just kept it to yourself. Obviously, everyone else thought it was delicious.
I agree with Kathy; people always ask me for the recipe when I make it! I am actually making it on December 5th for an office brunch.
I love love all of Jenn’s recipes😊!
Wahiba
I had some trouble fitting this into a 3-qt. casserole, even though I weighed the bread and measured all the ingredients. I ended up transferring it to a 13×9 casserole dish, and it was still a tight fit, so I took out a bit and baked it separately in two custard cups. Even with all the messing around with the “layers,” it turned out beautifully. I really appreciated being able to put it together the night before; I got home from church on Easter Sunday and popped it into the oven and it was ready for brunch. It made a great main dish for my husband, who doesn’t eat meat, and the rest of us loved it with our ham. Easy and delicious!
Hi Jen, I’d like to make the strata this weekend but there’s no such thing as half & half in Tunisia. Can I use 1 cup of heavy cream (crème fraîche) and 1 3/4 cup of milk instead? Thanks!
That will work, Marine – just use whole milk if possible.
Thanks! Turned out awesome, as usual 😉
I’d like to bake this strata for Easter brunch but will not have time to bake the full 70-75 minutes after church. Do you have a suggestion for partially baking before, then refrigerating and finishing after? Thanks!
Hi Anne, I’d suggest fully baking it. When you return from church, cover it tightly with foil, then reheat it at 325 degrees until hot in the center, probably about 35 – 40 minutes. Hope you enjoy!