Mushroom and Spinach Strata

Stratas are essentially breakfast casseroles. Being nothing more than a gussied up version of a savory bread pudding, they are hearty, easy to make, yet impressive, late morning breakfast, brunch, lunch and/or even late night dinner dishes. The foundational ingredients for all stratas are eggs, milk (and/or cream), toasted bread cubes, and cheese. When only fresh herbs and vegetables are added in, the result is a rich, deeply flavorful, vegetarian dish. This Mushroom and Spinach Strata (a vegetarian strata) is so satisfying, I promise that even your meat loving friends will be smitten with it.

There are an endless number of herb, vegetable, and cheese options and combinations when making stratas. Once you find the ones that appeal to your palate you will want to make stratas one of your go-to, signature dishes.

Stratas can be made either the night before or right before serving. Because I find them so easy to make, I tend to lean toward making them right before serving. From start to finish, it takes less than 40 minutes to make a strata. Note: If making the strata the night before I recommend baking the strata in a ceramic baking dish able to withstand a high level of heat. If serving immediately after making, I recommend using a cast iron pan.

Bread dried out in the oven is more absorbent than bread toasted in a toaster. It takes less than 5 minutes to dry out the bread cubes. A crusty baguette or sourdough are the ideal breads to use when making a strata. You might be inclined to want to use brioche bread, but it's richness will overpower the other flavors in the strata. So save the brioche for a french toast casserole.

Sautéed yellow onions, cremini mushrooms, baby spinach, garlic cloves, and fresh thyme get mixed into the egg, bread, milk and grated cheese mixture before being transferred to a buttered cast iron (or ceramic baking dish). The coarsely grated smoked Gouda cheese lends a hearty richness to the dish and pairs exceptionally well with the vegetables and herbs used here.

The total baking time for the Mushroom and Spinach Strata is somewhere between 16 and 18 minutes. For the first ten minutes, the baking dish must be covered so as to ensure the strata does not dry out. If you don't have a covered cast iron pan, use aluminum foil. For the last 6-8 minutes, the strata is baked without a cover.

There may be nothing more satisfying than having a warm meal or taking in the aroma of something savory baking in the oven on a chilly day. This Mushroom and Spinach Strata checks off all the boxes for me. It's gorgeous, mouthwateringly delicious, simple and relatively inexpensive to make, and a definite crowd pleaser. As an added benefit, your vegetarian friends will love you!

Paired with a lightly dressed salad and maybe even some wine, you have the makings of the loveliest of meals. Instead of ordering that late night pizza, make this elegant, almost effortless Mushroom and Spinach Strata instead. You can be enjoying a hot slice of strata before the pizza delivery vehicle even gets to your house.

Recipe

Mushroom and Spinach Strata

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

6 ounces (121g) crusty baguette or sourdough, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 1 9" long piece) - See Notes

1 1/2 Tablespoons butter

1 medium yellow or sweet yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced

6 ounces (171g) cremini mushrooms, stems removed, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

4 ounces (113g) fresh baby spinach

4 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

3 1/2 ounces (98g) smoked Gouda, coarsely grated

Optional: If serving for lunch or dinner, pair with a lightly dressed salad.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees (F).

2. Spread the bread cubes on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Toast in the oven until lightly golden and dry (approximately 4-6 minutes).

3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and milk. Add in the grated cheese and bread. Mix well. Let sit for at least 10 minutes, to ensure the bread becomes well hydrated.

4. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced onions and cook until they are tender (about 3-4 minutes).

5. Add in the mushrooms, garlic, thyme, Kosher salt and pepper. Cook until the mushrooms have softened (about 3 minutes).

6. Add in the spinach and cook until wilted (about 1-2 minutes).

7. Add the mushroom, onion and spinach mixture to the bread mixture. Give a quick stir.

8. Pour into a buttered 9" to 10" cast iron skillet (one with a lid). Press down on the mixture to flatten it a bit. Note: If you don't have a covered cast iron pan with a lid, use aluminum foil.

9. Bake covered for 10 minutes.

10. Remove the lid and continue cooking for an additional 6-8 minutes or until the strata has set in the center.

11. Remove from the oven and let set about 5 minutes before serving. The strata is best served warm, but still delicious either at room temperature or reheated in the microwave.

Notes: (1) I generally buy my smoked gouda cheese from Trader Joe's. (2) The strata can be made in one pan, but I found using two separate pans created a much better strata. (3) You can make a strata the night before. Just take the dish out the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before inserting the chilled pan into the hot oven. And make certain your ceramic dish can withstand temperatures at least up to 450 degrees F.