Shelly's Recipe

SPINACH AND CHEESE STRATA

Category: Breakfast and Brunch

1 (10-ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed
3 tablespoons butter, plus more for dish
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup medium-dry white wine, such as sauvignon blanc (optional)
1/2 pound supermarket French or Italian bread, sliced or cubed (about 8 cups cubes), slightly stale*
2 cups shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese (about 6 ounces)
1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (about 2 ounces)
2 3/4 cups whole milk
9 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Thoroughly squeeze spinach to remove as much excess moisture as possible; set aside.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, about 5 minutes. Add spinach, and cook, stirring, about 3 minutes. Add wine, if using, and simmer until liquid is almost evaporated.

Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange third of bread on bottom of dish. Top with third of spinach mixture, then a third of each of the cheeses. Repeat to use up all the bread, spinach mixture and cheeses.

In a bowl, combine milk, eggs, salt, pepper and mustard. Whisk until combined. Pour egg mixture over other ingredients in baking dish. Cover dish with plastic wrap. Push on top to submerge bread or lightly weight down. Store in refrigerator for at least one hour, or as long as overnight.

WHEN READY TO BAKE:
Remove strata from the fridge and let stand 20 minutes at room temperature.

Heat oven to 325 degrees F.

Uncover strata, place in oven and bake 50 to 60 minutes, until edges and center are puffed and edges have begun to pull away from the sides. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

*For the bread to properly absorb the custard, the bread must be slightly stale. If the bread is fresh, leave it exposed to air at room temperature overnight to dry it out. Or place fresh bread slices or cubes in a 225-degree for 30 to 40 minutes. For even more delicious strata, spread butter on the slices of bread before drying them out in the oven.

Makes 6 to 8 servings