Christmas Breakfast Strata with Spinach, Tomatoes & Gruyere Cheese
An excellent strata with an Italian flare - great any time of year, but the gorgeous red-and-green color scheme make it perfect for Christmas breakfast or brunch!
Servings 12 servings
Ingredients
- 2 tsp ghee or butter melted
- 1 small shallot
- 3 cups milk or half and half
- 8 large eggs
- 10 oz Gruyere cheese grated
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 small loaf 16oz sourdough bread, cut into 1" cubes
- 1 large bunch spinach stems removed (or 10oz bag fresh baby spinach)
- 6 large basil leaves chopped
- 1 jar 6.5 oz sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil with Italian herbs, drained and sliced into thick strips
Instructions
- Melt butter/ghee in saute pan. Add shallot and cook until translucent, stirring occasionally.
- In a large bowl, whisk the milk, eggs, Gruyere 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, cayenne, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
- Add the bread cubes, cooked shallot, spinach leaves, half the chopped basil leaves, and half the sun-dried tomatoes, folding gently to coat.
- Pour mixture into 3 quart baking dish, then top with remaining basil and tomatoes.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle the strata with the remaining 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, then bake uncovered until golden brown and almost set, approximately 45 minutes.
- Turn off oven, allowing strata to rest inside for an additional 10 minutes before removing from oven to serve.
Notes
- This is a great recipe for using up leftovers. If you have leftover roast veggies or even roast meats you can add them
- I used sourdough bread for this but if you have any leftover stale bread you can use that
- This strata is very easy to prepare so it makes a great prep ahead breakfast. Simply prep it the night before then all you need to do it pop it in the oven in the morning
- If you're not sure if the strata is ready make a small cut in the middle if it still seems too soft then put it back in the oven for 5-10 minutes
- This is delicious the next day. Keep it in the fridge covered in foil then reheat in the oven for 10-15 minutes until hot all the way through
- If you don't have gruyere cheese you could use comte, fontina or even a sharp white cheddar
- Pastured bacon or pancetta would add even more depth of flavor to this already-delicious recipe!