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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.

Spinach and cheese strata in a baking dish.

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.

What You’ll Need To Make Spinach & Cheese Strata

ingredients for spinach and 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.

melting butter in skillet

Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

sautéed onions in skillet

Add the spinach and garlic and cook a few minutes more.

cooking the spinach and garlic with the onions

Layer a third of the cubed bread in a buttered 3-quart or 9×13-inch baking dish.

Torn bread in a baking dish.

Top with a third of the spinach.

layering spinach mixture in baking dish

Followed by a third of each cheese.

layering cheese in baking dish

Repeat layering twice, ending with the cheese.

strata layers in baking dish

Make the custard by combining the whisked eggs, half-and-half-Dijon mustard salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Whisk in a bowl with eggs and seasonings.

Whisk evenly to combine.

whisked custard mixture

Pour evenly over top of the strata, then cover and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.

soaked strata ready to bake

Bake for about 70 to 80 minutes, until puffed, set and golden all over.

Spinach and cheese strata in a baking dish.

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.

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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

Powered by Edamam

  • 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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Comments

  • 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!

    • — Vicki Frederick
    • Reply
  • 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!

  • I love this dish! Made this for brunch and lunch both. I tweaked it a little by adding broccoli, and/ or grilled chicken. Turned out really well. Everybody loved it.

  • I made this for a brunch baby shower and it was perfect. I got so many complements on it. Served with a pound/coffee cake and fruit salad.

    • — Elizabeth Daming
    • Reply
  • I wanted to like this recipe and was so excited to try it. I followed the directions carefully but this casserole did not impress my family. Cooking time, straight out of the refrigerator, was too long. I was a little embarrassed that no one wanted to eat or even try it. I ate a small portion because I didn’t want to be wasteful but I threw the remainder of it away.

  • This is fantastic! I greased the pan with pesto and used ciabatta bread. This is very delicious!

  • Delicious recipe, Jen. Made it with frozen spinach but now would like to make it with sauteed fresh spinach. Any idea how much fresh spinach it would take? I like a little more spinach. Or maybe it wouldn’t work. Thank you for great workable recipes and fresh ideas.

    • Glad you like the recipes! Yes, fresh spinach will work here; you’ll need about 1.5 lbs. Just make sure you drain it like you would with the frozen spinach.

  • Excellent breakfast casserole. My family loved it. I used grueyere instead of fontina since I mistakenly thought I had fontina on hand and did not. Excellent!

  • I had been wanting a strata recipe for awhile and recently made this one. It is definitely a keeper! I froze a section of it to take to my sister who is vegetarian. It freezes well. Only change I did for convenience was I used minced garlic in a jar, and instead of Gruyere cheese I substituted a soft Swiss cheese I had on hand already. I will be making this time and time again!

  • Really love your recipes, but being in the UK i am sometimes confused about some of the ingredients. Is half and half milk or cream, presumably low fat?

    • Hi Jane, Glad you like the recipes. 🙂 Yes, half and half is exactly that – half milk and half cream. In the UK, I believe it’s referred to as half cream. Hope that helps!

  • I made this strata for a brunch we hosted in November. My husband and our group of friends loved it so much that when a friend organized a Christmas brunch in December, she asked me to make it again. It’s that good!

  • This was delicious – and a nice change from the heavy meat strata we’ve always had at Christmas. Used ciabatta rolls. The texture was creamier than I’ve had before – and it tasted lighter (never mind all the cheese and half and half!). Have a family member who hates onion. Another person doesn’t like meat, and I was worried it would be bland without the onion. I did use the garlic and it was plenty flavorful. This will be a new regular holiday dish – it suits the vegetarians and the “I hate onions” crowd too! Try it!

  • I’ve really enjoyed going through the recipes on this site (my go-to site ever since Thanksgiving when I made the delicious stuffing). Thank you.

    This was a lot richer than I had anticipated, and I ended up eating most of it over a few days to prevent it from going to waste. (I hadn’t thought carefully about my eaters…Kids picked at it. And I sense there was too much richness for their moms, who politely made positive comments about how it looked, but perhaps were appalled by the siege against their diet and exercise programs.)

  • This looks so good. I can’t wait to try it.

    I wanted to share a secret for squeezing the water out of spinach. I put the whole thawed out package of spinach in my potato ricer and squeeze the heck the out it. It only takes a few seconds to get all the water out, and I just put the ricer in the dishwasher when I’m done.

  • Strata was a big hit for our Christmas brunch! The only ingredient I changed was the cheese. I had a block of Kerry Gold cheese, it was a combo of gruyere, cheddar and Parmesan. It cooked perfectly and was delicious! Thank you Jen! Keep your great recipes coming😁

  • Hello, This looks amazing and can’t wait to try this. I am making this for a brunch tomorrow at my niece’s home. Can I bake ahead in morning and reheat? Or should I bake right before we leave take there warm? Thanks!

    • Hi Donna, I’d bake it in the morning and take it there warm – should be perfect!

  • Can you make this ahead the night before and refrigerate for 10+ hours?

    • — Nadine Chiarito
    • Reply
    • Yep – hope you enjoy!

  • Hi Jen. This looks awesome. How would I split it in two to give to two different new moms? Put in pie plates? Cooking time?
    Thank you for your amazing recipes.

    • Glad you like the recipes! I’d suggest baking this in two 8 x 8 dishes. Cooking time should be about the same, but keep an eye on it.

  • A wonderful recipe! I reduced the amount of onions by 1/2 per family preference and substituted 1/2 the amount of half-and half with 2% milk to reduce a bit of the fat. Upon making it a subsequent time, I had leftover ham, so I diced about a cup and added it. Your recipes are always perfect as they are, but I also think the mark of a good recipe is one that you can make basic adjustments to for personal taste and still have it turn out well. Your recipes are consistently dependable and delicious!

  • I will be making this Strata for a brunch tomorrow. I find the salt content high.
    Can I reduce it and maybe put in some Canadian Bacon? Thank you, Maggi

    • — mgilmour195@gmail.com
    • Reply
    • Sure, Maggie – I’d love to know how it turns out.

  • Made this for a wine tasting event featuring Merlot and it was a hit. Cut into small bite size pieces. Only change, I added bacon.

  • This is a favorite recipe in our home. Could I add smoked salmon to it?

    • Definitely!

  • 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)

  • 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?

  • 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

    • — Jackie Greiner
    • Reply
    • 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!

  • Made this for breakfast this morning and it was really good! I had some bacon in the freezer so I chopped that up and cooked it, then cooked the onions, garlic, and spinach in some of the bacon grease. I also had a random mix of cheeses to use up what I had (fontina, cheddar, and mozzarella). Definitely a keeper!

  • Served this for a brunch. My husband said it was much to “bread-y”. I liked it but also felt it was a little dense and could have used a little more liquid. I was unable to find Italian sandwich bread in the bread aisle of our local Walmart. Ended up purchased an whole, unsliced loaf of Italian bread in the bakery department. I used my Salter-brand electronic kitchen scale to weigh out 12 ounces of bread cubes so I’m not sure what happened. Perhaps I squeezed the spinach too dry or the type of bread I ended up using was dryer than normal. I did enjoy the flavor of the spinach and my 3-cheese selection (gruyere, cheddar and Parmigiano Reggiano) in the casserole. Next time I think I will add a little pre-cooked breakfast or Italian sausage as well. Hopefully I can find a sliced Italian sandwich bread as well.

  • This was terrific. I used milk instead of half and half just to count calories. Still wonderful.

  • How could I substitute egg whites for some of the whole eggs? Thank you!

    • Hi Kat, I believe that 1 large egg is the equivalent of 2 large egg whites, so you’ll want to make sure you have enough eggs. And glad to hear you are only going to do this for some but not all of the eggs in the recipe as I think you’ll get a better result with some full eggs.

  • Hi Jen,

    I making the strata for a family dinner but I’m afraid that some of guests do not like spinach, can I substitute it for some other vegetable?
    Thanks!

    • Definitely! Broccoli or mushrooms would both work well. Just be sure to cook them first before adding them.

  • Jen, your recipes have really kicked up my cooking! Your site is the first place I go for menu planning each week and literally every single dish I’ve made has been raved about by my family. Thanks for making me look so good!

    I made this for Mother’s Day brunch and was a huge hit! I made it the night before and then popped it in the oven the next morning which allowed me to spend time with my son and family rather than in the kitchen. I bought a 10oz bag of spinach as I wanted to add some other veggies. I diced red pepper and sliced some mushrooms and cooked them with the onions and it worked out perfectly. My audience ranged in age from 2 to 75 and everyone cleaned their plate! I served it with a garden salad and homemade buttermilk ranch dressing (recipe from this site) and it was a light, delicious meal.

  • I was literally in a grocery store parking lot when I received a text invitation to brunch the following day and needed to bring something for 6 people. It was late in the day and I didn’t want to go all the way home to rummage through recipes and couldn’t think of anything significant without some guidance. I pulled up this recipe on my phone, got the ingredients, made that night and served the next morning. WOW, WOW, WOW! Rave reviews from everyone, funny that all thought I’d worked so hard at something so delicious. This is SUPER easy, great for company and simply DELICIOUS!

  • I made this Spinach & Cheese Strata for Easter, and it was a HUGE hit! I will also be making this for an upcoming ‘girls weekend’ at the beach. As suggested by another reviewer, I used the Cheddar/Gruyere Melange (sp?) from Trader Joe’s and it was perfect!. I also love your spinach quiche!

  • How many ounces spinach do you use? Can I use a 10 ounce box?

    Sharon

    • — Sharon Meadows
    • Reply
    • 16 ounces (And I’d recommend sticking with that instead of a 10 oz box). Hope you enjoy!

  • Jenn,
    May I use less eggs for this dish.
    Thank you,
    Beya

    • Hi Beya, if you want to use fewer eggs, I’d cut the other ingredients back accordingly too.

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