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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Could you make this with small cubed potatoes instead of the bread?
I wouldn’t recommend it — sorry!
Perfect luncheon main. And makes a lot. My guests loved this spinach strata and I made it the night before = easy entertaining!! As with all of Jenn’s recipes this was a stand-out and I never fear that trying something new will be a flop. Everything turns out perfectly. Thanks Jenn!
I made this for brunch this morning, following the directions exactly, and it was amazing. Assembled it yesterday and baked it today. Perfect for entertaining.
Hi Jen, can I omit the bread, I’m on keto? Also can I use fresh spinach, and how much?
Thank you
Hi Wanda, You’ll need about 1.5 lbs of fresh spinach. Just make sure you cook and drain it. The bread is a really important part of this recipe though.
I made this for brunch the day after Christmas and it was delicious. I didn’t change a thing. I’ve never had to change one ingredient on any of your recipes! They are always 10 out of 10, winners! I also made your chutney for Christmas dinner and it is out of this world!
Jen,
I want to try this dish for New Years day.. but I was wondering if I could saute fresh baby spinach after the onions?
Hi Mia, I’m obviously weighing in too late to help – I’m sorry! If you didn’t use fresh spinach, for future reference, I think you could sauté fresh spinach after the onions; you’ll just want to make sure you cook it enough to evaporate most of the moisture the spinach gives off.
Excellent recipe again Jen! I will be making this for Christmas morning. Here’s a tip for removing water from the spinach that I find works well. A potato ricer makes quick work of pressing out the water. Place it in the ricer, give a couple of good squeezes and voila! Perfectly drained spinach.
Peggy, the ricer works fabulously. Years ago, I got the idea from Rachael Ray. Went out and bought a st. st. one. It’s the best idea since sliced bread!!!!
This was delicious! The directions were easy to follow and the ratios perfect. Even the baking time was bang on! I will be making this again for Christmas brunch. Thanks for sharing!
Aloha Jen and Happy Holidays,
This recipe looks amazing and am making fir Christmas breakfast . Two questions;
1. Unable to find Italian bread. What bread should I use?
2. Can 3 cheeses be used and still have a wonderful flavor: parmigiana parmesean, gruyere, and cheddar cheese
Mahalos
Hi Patricia, You can use a baguette, artisan bread, or sourdough — the recipe is pretty flexible. And, yes, those cheeses sound fine. Hope everyone enjoys — happy holidays!
Can this be made ahead and frozen prior to baking?
Hi Kim, It can be frozen but only after baking.
Hi Jenn,
I have an Emile Henry 9×13 lasagna dish—but it is 4.7 qt (2-1/2” deep). Will that work?
Thank you,
Elise
Sure – as long as it’s 9 x 13, it should be fine. Enjoy!