Perfect for brunch, this vegetable strata is a savory bread pudding with spinach, gooey cheese, and cubes of deliciously rich bread baked in creamy custard.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until smooth and beat in milk.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the celery, onion, thyme and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook the vegetables,stirring often, until they begin to soften; about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, squeeze out all excess moisture from spinach. When the vegetables are tender, stir the spinach and heat through. Turn off the heat.
Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes and add to bowl with eggs and milk. Toss the bread until bread is well coated with the egg mixture.
Gently stir the vegetables and 1 cup of the cheese into the coated bread. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Transfer the bread and vegetable mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of cheese on top of the strata.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Uncover the strata and bake until eggs have set; about 30 to 35 minutes.
Allow the strata to cool about 10 minutes before cutting.
Serve warm.
Notes
To feed more than 4, click the serving number on this recipe card and drag the slider to adjust the serving size to fit your needs.This recipe is a good way to eat up bread before going stale. I’ve discovered that most grocery stores that have a bakery have a rack with marked down bread. Keep an eye on them and snag a loaf of bread. Store the bread in the freezer until needed and then defrost. This saves you money on otherwise pricey bread.Leftovers: Strata reheats best in the oven. To reheat in the oven place the cold casserole dish into a cold oven and bring up to 350 degrees. You can microwave but the bread tends to get a little chewy if it is overheated. Microwave in short 30 second increments until warmed through. Recipe adapted from Savory Magazine
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