Italian Meringue with Vanilla Bean Twist Recipe
This Spinach and Feta Strata is a delicious and savory baked casserole perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a light dinner. Made with layers of sautéed onions, spinach, feta, monterey jack cheese, and soaked bread, all soaked in an egg and milk mixture, then baked to a golden, fluffy perfection. It combines creamy and tangy flavors with a crispy top, and is ideal for preparing ahead of time by refrigerating overnight before baking.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes plus at least 2 hours chilling time
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes (including chilling)
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Breakfast, Brunch, Casserole
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1 slightly heaping cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 8 large eggs
- 1½ cups whole or 2% milk
- Salt and pepper, to taste (about ¼ – ½ teaspoon salt in total)
Instructions
- Prepare the baking dish and bread: Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish and add the bread pieces evenly to the dish.
- Sauté the onions: Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Let the onions cool slightly.
- Whisk egg mixture: In a separate bowl, whisk together the 8 large eggs and 1½ cups of milk. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
- Combine spinach, onions, and cheese: Evenly distribute the drained spinach, sautéed onions, crumbled feta, and shredded Monterey Jack cheese over the bread in the baking dish. Lightly toss these ingredients together within the dish to combine.
- Pour egg mixture and refrigerate: Pour the seasoned egg and milk mixture evenly over the bread and vegetable mixture. Cover the baking dish and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight to allow the bread to soak up the custard.
- Preheat oven and bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Cover the baking dish with foil and bake on the middle rack for 25 minutes.
- Finish baking uncovered: Remove the foil and bake uncovered for an additional 40-45 minutes until the strata is cooked through and set. If the top begins to brown too quickly, re-cover lightly with foil until done.
- Serve and store: Serve this strata fresh from the oven to enjoy the firm, crispy top. Leftovers can be refrigerated and reheated in the microwave the next day.
Notes
- To toast the bread, place it in the oven at 250-275°F until dry but not browned, which helps prevent sogginess.
- This dish is best served the day it is baked to maintain its crisp top texture.
- Leftovers can be stored covered in the refrigerator and reheated in the microwave.
