Christmas Morning Strata
Strata is the perfect make-ahead dish to serve a crowd! Assemble it the night before, let is rest in the fridge, and bake it off in the morning. It’s warm, comforting, cheesy, and the perfect fuel for all your holiday morning gift opening. It is also endlessly adaptable. This recipe suggests using festively hued spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and gruyere (red, green & white, get it?!) but bacon, sausage, or any form of veggie or greens you have on hand would be equally delicious.
Wishing you the most delicious of holidays from our family to yours!
Christmas Morning Strata:
Yields: 1, 9x13-inch casserole
Ingredients
1, 2# Loaf White Sandwich Bread, cut into 1” cubes
12 eggs
2.5 cups 1/2 & 1/2
2 TB Kosher Salt
1 TB Ground Black Pepper
2 leeks, thoroughly washed and thinly sliced, white and light green parts only
1# bag frozen chopped spinach, defrosted.
1 jar sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil, finely chopped
1.5 cups grated Gruyere cheese (or white cheddar)
Method
Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 9x13-inch casserole with cooking spray. Dice the bread into 1” cubes.
In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, half & half, salt & pepper. Add the bread cubes and allow bread to soak while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
Saute leeks in a little olive oil until translucent. Add defrosted spinach and cook until all the liquid from the spinach has cooked off. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Mix in the sun-dried tomatoes. Also vegetable mixture to cool to room temperature.
Add the cooled vegetables to the soaked bread cubes and stir to combine. Stir in 1 cup of cheese, reserving 1/2 cup for the top of the casserole. Pour bread mixture int the prepared casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.
Cover casserole with parchment and then with foil to tighten. Bake, covered on a baking sheet for about 35 minutes. Remove foil/ parchment and bake another 15-20 minutes longer until center is puffed and golden. Serve warm with a green salad or a breakfast side like bacon or sausage.
