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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I made this the night before Thanksgiving. I used leftover sourdough bread. My niece popped it into the oven in the morning. It was very crunchy on top due to the sourdough. We enjoyed it. Next time I will grease the pan more! The pan has been soaking for hours… oh well!!! We are prepping the holiday dinner. No worries!
Wow! Amazing! What’s the best way to store leftovers? Thanks so much!
Glad you enjoyed it, Sara! Leftovers should be covered and stored in the fridge.
Jenn,
looking for a kugel substitution for brunch with our family. want a warm dish. your spinach and cheese strata is a possibility, but would rather use something without bread because we are having bagels and smoked salmon. any other suggestions? can always go to the blintzes, but would rather include some veggie something. any suggestions? I know you are busy, but if you have time in your schedule, I would love your suggestions.
thanks,
Roz(Baltimore)
Hi Roz, how about this Crustless Broccoli Quiche or this Zucchini and Cheddar Fritatta?
I made this for a brunch this past Sunday and it got rave reviews from everyone. I made exactly as the recipe called for except had a 20 oz. package of spinach so I used it all. Had a few pieces left over that reheated well the next day.
Can I halve the recipe for an 8×8 pan?
Sure, Linda, that will work. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn, I have a ton of kale ! Is there any way to substitute kale for spinach if I cook the heck out of it?
Yes, Sue, I think it would work. LMK how it turns out!
Friends of ours recently introduced this to us and made it with kale and it was delicious. We are trying it out ourselves for the first time tomorrow for my son’s birthday, this time with spinach and Gouda and a hard Italian cheese blend in place of parm reg.
This was so simple and tasted incredible! Your recipes make me look like an great cook. I can’t wait for your cookbook – it is going to be my standby gift for everyone!
Hello Jen. I love this strata! It came out perfect. I would like to try it with store bought croissant instead Italian bread, do u think will b ok?
Yep 🙂
Hi!
I was wondering what i could use instead of half and half .How about a light cooking crea m or greek yogurt??
Hi Francesca, You could try milk, but the strata won’t be nearly as rich.
I have not made this recipe, but wanted to share a handy tip which some people may already know about.
Whenever I need to drain spinach, I put it in my ricer and squeeze. This really gets all the water out. Someone told me this once and it has made such a difference, not only the amount of water I can get out, but the amount of time it saves me. I use it for all greens.
Can I freeze this before baking? I would like to make several casseroles for a large group and freeze since I won’t have time to prepare the day before my party
Hi Jackie, If you want to freeze it, I’d recommend freezing it after baking. When you’re ready to serve it, I’d defrost it in the fridge overnight. Before putting it in the oven, cover it tightly with foil, then reheat it at 325 degrees until hot in the center, probably about 40 minutes. Hope everyone enjoys!