Breakfast Strata With Spinach And Mushroom Food

SPINACH & CHEESE STRATA

Steps:

• 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.

SPINACH, MUSHROOM AND CHEESE BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Grease a 9-by-13-inch (3-quart) casserole dish with oil.
• Toss the bread cubes with 2 tablespoons of the oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a large bowl. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bread to the skillet, and cook, tossing occasionally, until toasted and golden brown, about 8 minutes. Return the toasted bread to the bowl to cool.
• Wipe out the skillet. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat until it starts to shimmer. Add the mushrooms in one layer (resist the urge to stir right away), and cook until they start to brown, about 3 minutes; stir, then continue to brown for 2 minutes more. Add the garlic, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt and some pepper, stir continuously for 1 minute, then fold in the spinach and another 1/4 teaspoon salt. Continue to cook, stirring often, until the spinach is wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Place half the bread cubes in the prepared casserole dish, and sprinkle them with half each of the Gruyere and Parmesan. Add the mushroom-spinach mixture in an even layer. Top with the remaining bread cubes, Gruyere and Parmesan.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper. Pour the egg mixture into the casserole dish. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours up to overnight. Remove the casserole from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the casserole until the custard is set and the top is golden brown, 50 to 55 minutes. Cool for at least 15 minutes before serving warm or at room temperature.

BACON, CHEDDAR AND SPINACH STRATA

Steps:

• Oil bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch baking dish with about a tablespoon of bacon fat.
• Place bread cubes in a large mixing bowl.
• Crack eggs into a separate mixing bowl. Season with salt, pepper, cayenne, and nutmeg. Add cream and whisk mixture thoroughly.
• Pour egg/cream mixture over the bread cubes and mix to distribute ingredients evenly. Allow bread mixture to sit about 15 minutes to absorb the liquid.
• Transfer half of the bread mixture to the baking pan; spread evenly over the bottom and press mixture down a bit. Top with half of the grated Cheddar cheese. Add cooked bacon pieces in an even layer over the cheese. Place the cooked spinach over the bacon; top with half of the remaining cheese. Finish with the rest of the soaked bread cubes, spread evenly and pressed down slightly. Sprinkle with the rest of the grated cheese. Cover and let strata sit at room temperature for 1 hour before baking.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake strata in preheated oven until set, about 45 minutes. Optionally, you can broil the strata for a minute or two to brown the top.

MOM'S BREAKFAST STRATA

Steps:

• Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer half of the torn bread in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle the mushrooms and green bell pepper evenly over the bread layer. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Top with remaining bread pieces, then layer with the onion and ham. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Whisk together eggs and milk; pour over the entire pan. Cover with aluminum foil, and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake covered for 35 minutes, then remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until top is evenly brown.

THE ULTIMATE BREAKFAST FOR DINNER: SAUSAGE AND SPINACH EGG STRATA

Steps:

• Defrost the spinach in the microwave, and then wring out any excess liquid.
• Heat the EVOO in a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown and crumble the spicy breakfast sausage, and then remove the crumbles to a plate. Return the skillet to the heat. Reduce the heat a little and melt the butter. To the skillet, add the onions and garlic and cook to soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Then add the spinach and season with salt, pepper and a little nutmeg. Turn off the heat and combine with the sausage bits.
• Arrange half of the bread in a casserole dish.
• Whisk the eggs with the milk, Dijon and some salt and pepper.
• Scatter half of the sausage-spinach mixture over the bread, top with half the cheese, pour over half the eggs, repeat. Cover and store in the fridge.
• Bring the strata to room temperature for about 30 minutes before you bake. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F with the rack in the center of the oven.
• Set the casserole on a baking sheet and bake uncovered 1 hour. Let stand 10 minutes and serve.

BROCCOLI, MUSHROOM, AND CHEESE BREAKFAST STRATA

Steps:

• Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent and beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook for another 1 minute. Transfer the onion mixture to a medium bowl and allow to cool. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons of oil in the skillet and saute the mushrooms until they release all of their water, about 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely. Spray an oval baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange the bread cubes in the dish. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, egg whites, milk and mustard until incorporated. Add mushrooms, onion-garlic mixture, broccoli, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, sun-dried tomatoes, thyme, and salt and pepper and stir to incorporate. Pour mixture over bread, making sure liquid saturates bread. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or at least 8 hours. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the plastic wrap from strata and bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until top forms a light brown crust.

BACON AND SPINACH QUICHE

Steps:

• Crust: Pulse flour and salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Whisk together egg yolk and 2 tablespoons ice water. Add to flour mixture and pulse until moist crumbs start to form (no longer). Transfer mixture to a piece of plastic wrap, and using wrap and your hands, form into a disk. Refrigerate, wrapped, at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to an 11-inch round. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate; trim edges to a 1-inch overhang. Tuck overhang under and crimp as desired. (To create arc pattern, press a spoon into dough.) Wrap in plastic; freeze at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line crust with parchment and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until dough underneath parchment is dry, 25 minutes; remove parchment and beans. Bake until golden, 8 to 10 minutes more. Let cool slightly.
• Filling: Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Whisk eggs until smooth, then whisk in cream, milk, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir in half of bacon and cheese. Pour custard mixture into crust, stopping just short of the top; be careful not to overfill. Press spinach into custard, leaving some poking out from top.
• Sprinkle with remaining bacon and cheese. Bake 10 minutes at 375 degrees, then about 55 minutes at 325 degrees. Let cool about 1 hour before serving.

SPINACH AND CHEESE STRATA

Steps:

• Squeeze handfuls of spinach to remove as much liquid as possible, then finely chop.
• Cook onion in butter in a large heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and nutmeg and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in spinach, then remove from heat.
• Spread one third of bread cubes in a buttered 3-quart gratin dish or other shallow ceramic baking dish and top evenly with one third of spinach mixture. Sprinkle with one third of each cheese. Repeat layering twice (ending with cheeses).
• Whisk together milk, eggs, mustard, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl and pour evenly over strata. Chill strata, covered with plastic wrap, at least 8 hours (for bread to absorb custard).
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Let strata stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
• Bake strata, uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed, golden brown, and cooked through, 45 to 55 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

POTATO STRATA WITH SPINACH, SAUSAGE AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350°F.
• Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Remove the sausage from its casings, and cook the sausage thoroughly, crumbling it into small pieces. Drain the sausage on a paper towel and set aside. Pour off the remaining fat, then add the spinach to the pan and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Let cool, then squeeze the spinach so that excess liquid is removed.
• Place the butter in a 2-quart baking dish, and place in the oven to melt.
• In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, 2/3 of the goat cheese, sundried tomatoes, flour, salt and pepper. Add in the diced potatoes, spinach and sausage. Mix to combine.
• Carefully remove the dish with the melted butter from the oven, then pour the egg mixture into the dish. Crumble the remaining goat cheese over the top, then carefully place back in the oven.
• Bake the strata until the eggs are set in the middle, about 50-55 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before eating.

MAKE-AHEAD CHEESY SPINACH AND EGG STRATA

Steps:

• Squeeze out as much of the moisture as possible from the spinach, then chop finely.
• Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Add in the fresh mushrooms and saute for about 10-12 minutes, or until they loose their moisture completely; remove to a bowl.
• Add in onion with nutmeg, salt and cayenne and saute for 5 minutes (adding in the garlic the last few minutes) then stir in the chopped spinach; saute for 2 minutes.
• Transfer the mixture to the bowl with the mushrooms; mix to combine slightly.
• Butter a 4-quart casserole dish.
• Spread 1/3 of the cubed bread into the prepared baking dish.
• Top with 1/3 of the spinach/mushroom mixture.
• Sprinkle with 1/3 of BOTH cheeses.
• Repeat layering twice (ending with the cheeses).
• In a bowl whisk together half and half, milk, eggs, mustard.
• Pour the milk mixture evenly over the strata in the baking dish.
• Cover with plastic and chill for about 8 hours or up to 24 hours or until the bread is absorbed in the milk.
• When ready to bake, let the dish stay out at room temperature for about 40 minutes before baking.
• Set oven to 350°F (second-lowest oven rack).
• Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown.
• Delicious!

SPINACH MUSHROOM STRATA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 °F. Line a 9-inch square or round casserole dish with parchment paper or lightly grease the dish.
• Place cubed bread on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Toast for about 10 minutes until golden brown. Once toasted, remove from the oven and set aside.
• Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large pan over medium heat. Sauté 1 chopped onion in the pan with 8 ounces of mushrooms and the herbs for around 7 minutes until the vegetables are softened. Add spinach to the pan and cook for 5 more minutes until the spinach is wilted. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool.
• Measure out toasted bread until it fills the dish. Once you have measured this, transfer the same amount back into the empty mixing bowl.
• Add the onion and mushrooms to the bread and add 2 cups of Swiss cheese to the bowl. Toss to combine.
• Turn the oven down to 350 °F.
• In a blender, combine 8 eggs with 2 cups of whole milk, 1 cup of heavy cream, 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, ½ a teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, and ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg. Blend for 10 seconds until combined.
• Place the bread mixture in the pan. Carefully pour the blended egg mixture over the bread. Press the bread cubes down to make sure they are totally submerged.
• Place the strata in the oven and cook uncovered for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• Remove the strata from the oven and leave to cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
• Serve portions of the casserole warm or at room temperature.

BREAKFAST STRATA WITH SPINACH AND MUSHROOM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Arrange bread slices in a single layer on 2 large baking sheets and bake until dry and crisp, about 40 minutes, turning slices over halfway through drying time. (Alternatively, leave slices out overnight to dry.) When cooled, butter slices on one side using 4 tablespoons of butter; set aside. (Note: I used Smart Balance® with just a thin coating on each slice).
• Heat 3 1/2 tablespoons butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Sauté shallots and mushrooms until shallots become fragrant and translucent, about 3 minutes.
• Add spinach to skillet. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach and shallots are combined, about 3 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl; set aside.
• Add wine to skillet, increase heat to medium-high, and simmer until reduced to 1/2 cup, 3 to 4 minutes; set aside.
• Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter.
• Arrange half the buttered bread slices, buttered-side up, in single layer in dish. Spread half of spinach mixture, then lay half of the cheese evenly over bread slices. Arrange remaining bread slices in single layer over cheese; spread remaining spinach mixture and the remaining cheese evenly over bread.
• Whisk eggs in medium bowl until combined; whisk in reduced wine, half-and-half, 2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Pour egg mixture evenly over bread layers; cover surface flush with plastic wrap, weigh down (see note, below), and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
• Remove dish from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature 20 minutes. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Uncover strata and bake until both edges and center are puffed and edges have pulled away slightly from sides of dish, 60 to 65 minutes (or about 50 to 55 minutes for halved recipe). Cool on wire rack 5 minutes; serve.
• NOTE: By weighing down the strata, all of the bread is able to soak in the custard. To weigh down the assembled strata, two 1-pound boxes of brown or powdered sugar, laid side by side over the plastic-covered surface, make ideal weights. A gallon-sized zipper-lock bag filled with about 2 pounds of sugar or rice also works. This recipe halves easily; use one 8x8-inch baking dish greased with only 1 tablespoon butter and reduce the baking time as directed in step 8.
• A word about substituting fat-free half-and-half: The second time I made this recipe, I used fat-free half-and-half. The strata was soggy, not like the original recipe, even though I baked it longer. I think the custard needed more fat from the half-and-half in order to set properly.
• If you try this with fresh spinach, cook it first, squeeze it dry, then use it in place of frozen.

THE BEST SPINACH MUSHROOM QUICHE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• In a large dutch oven or pot, melt butter over medium heat. Saute garlic and onion in butter until lightly transparent. Add the mushrooms, and saute until they are fragrant. Add the spinach, and saute until it reduces down (about 4 minutes). Remove and reserve most of the liquid from the pan. Stir in all the italian cheese and all but 1/2 cup of the cheddar. Season with salt and pepper (make sure to taste at this point, as this is the only time you will be able to adjust the salt and pepper). Spoon mixture into pie crust.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Pour into the pastry shell, allowing egg mixture to thoroughly combine with spinach mixture. Add in the set aside liquid if it seems too dry, and mix thouroghly.
• Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Sprinkle top with remaining Cheddar cheese, and bake an additional 35 to 40 minutes, until set in center. Allow to stand 10 minutes before serving.