pat's Recipe

Herbed Spinach and Goat Cheese Strata

Category: Eggs

You can prepare it the night before and pop in the oven in the morning or let stand a couple hours and bake. It is also great for dinner with a big green salad.

1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt, divided
coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
8 cups cubed rustic bread, such as Ciabatta
(about a 1-lb loaf)
1 cup crumbled goat cheese (6 ounces)
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
2 3/4 cups 2% milk
8 eggs
1 to 2 Tbsp whole grain mustard
2 tsp minced fresh rosemary
1 Tbsp minced fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried

Place thawed spinash in colander and squeeze out excess water. Chop finely.
Heat olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add 1/4 tsp salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in spinach; remove from heat.
Toss bread cubes, spinach mixture and cheese together in a large bowl. Place mixture in a buttered 13x9-inch baking dish or 3-qt gratin dish.
Whisk together milk, eggs, mustard and herbs. Add 1/4 tsp salt and pepper. Pour evenly over bread mixture. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 350. Remove strata from refrigerator; let stand at room temp 30 minutes.
Remove plastic wrap and bake, uncovered, about 45 minutes, until puffed, golden brown and thoroughly cooked.
serves 10