bacon cheddar and spinach strata
Recipes
Lunch
Bacon Cheddar & Spinach Strata
This protein-packed breakfast casserole is the perfect recipe for when you have a crowd to feed. The egg mixture needs plenty of time to soak into the bread before baking, so you can prepare it the night before and pop it in the oven in the morning. Whole-wheat sourdough offers a tangy flavor and a boost of fiber, but you can swap it out for regular sourdough or a plain whole-wheat country loaf.
Ingredients
- 3 slices center-cut bacon, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
- 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
- 5 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 8 ounces crusty whole-wheat sourdough bread, cubed (1-inch; about 4 cups)
- 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
- 5 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Directions
- Coat a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate, leaving the drippings in the pan.
- Add onion to the drippings in the pan; cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in spinach.
- Layer half the bread cubes in the prepared baking dish. Top with half of the spinach mixture and 1/4 cup cheese. Repeat the layering with the remaining bread, spinach mixture and 1/2 cup cheese.
- Whisk half-and-half, eggs, mustard, pepper, nutmeg and salt together in a large bowl. Pour the egg mixture over the bread mixture; top with the reserved bacon. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours.
- Remove the strata from the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake the strata, uncovered, until puffed and golden brown all over, 40 to 45 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
