Spinach & Cheese Strata
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Layered with spinach, cheese, and hearty bread baked in a rich, savory custard, this make-ahead strata is the perfect dish for easy 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 it with bacon, a strawberry and orange fruit salad, and mimosas.
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. (At this point, you can also freeze the strata for up to 2 months.)
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 hearty bread baked in a rich, savory custard, this make-ahead strata is the perfect dish for easy 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.
- Freezing Instructions: To freeze, assemble the strata but don’t bake it. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to bake, thaw the strata overnight in the refrigerator. Alternatively, you can freeze leftover baked strata in individual portions, wrapping them tightly before freezing. Reheat from frozen in a 350°F oven until warmed through.
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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Hi, i have lots of fresh baby spinach leaves (leftover from a salad that wasn’t made at a recent family gathering). Can I use this instead of frozen spinach, and if so how? Thank you!
Yes, you can definitely use fresh spinach. You’d need to cook it first, then drain as with the frozen.
I made this yesterday with a combination fresh kale and spinach. Next time I will add more bread. It was still very delicious!
For the strata is it ok to make it way ahead, like 1 1/2 days ahead, and let it sit in the fridge until baking Christmas morning. Want to make it tonight so Christmas Eve won’t be overloaded. Thanks!
Hi Rebekah, Yes, that should be fine. Hope everyone enjoys it!
Hi Jenn! I’m preparing some meals in advance of my daughter’s arrival from college. This is one of our favorites!
Two questions: How will it hold up to re-heating? And, do you still think about a pound of fresh spinach is the right portion to sub for frozen? Thanks in advance and happy holidays to you and your family!
Hi Sandy, Yes, the quiche will reheat nicely and I would suggest about 1 – 1/2 lbs. fresh spinach.
I made this recipe for an important brunch and it was outstanding. I followed the directions exactly and it looked, smelled and tasted wonderful! I also served homemade waffles with assorted fresh berries for the meal.
Definitely a keeper and I plan to use it again during the holidays. It is not easy to find elegant brunch dishes.
Thank you!
Do you think it will be good if it sits for about a 24 hours instead of just overnight?
Making for break fast for Yom Kippur. Thanks….love your site!
Hi Lauren, So sorry I’m late to reply. It will be fine to sit for 24 hours.
I made this and used swirled rye bread and some french bread that I had on hand…it was great, every one loved it. Thanks
Just made this for a back to school breakfast for the teachers at my school. Everyone loved it! I used a Gruyere/Cheddar blend from Trader Joe’s and it was perfect. Next time I will try adding bacon or ham.
I made this for a breakfast pot luck at work and it went over fabulously. 3 ofr 4 people asked for the recipe and when it came up for another breakfast pot luck, it was requested again. I have to work at 6 am so it will be in the oven by 4 or 4:30. Thanks for sharing this recipe!!
If I use fresh spinach….how much do I use?
Hi Madelaine, I’m guessing you’d need about 1.5 pounds.