An overnight soak lets the egg filling saturate the bread slices in this cheesy spinach strata, making for a fluffy and creamy casserole.
Adapted from Patricia Heaton's Food For Family And Friends by Patricia Heaton. Copyright © 2018 by Patricia Heaton. Used with permission by William Morrow Cookbooks. All rights reserved.
- Butter or cooking spray, for the pan
- 3 cups frozen chopped spinach (about one-and-a-half 10-ounce packages)
- 8 thick-cut slices ciabatta bread, preferably day-old, torn into bite-size pieces
- 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated Pecorino Romano
- 6 large eggs
- 3 cups 2% or whole milk
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- Freshly ground black pepper
Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch pan.
In a microwave-safe bowl, cook the spinach on high 2 to 3 minutes, until fully thawed. Let cool for a minute, then squeeze the spinach to drain as much water as possible.
Arrange half of the bread in the prepared pan. Scatter half of the spinach and cheeses on top. Repeat with the remaining bread, spinach and cheeses.
In a large bowl, combine the eggs, milk, salt and nutmeg and season with pepper. Beat with a whisk or fork until combined. Pour over the spinach-cheese mixture. Use a rubber spatula to press the bread down, helping to soak up the milk mixture. Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate overnight.
The next morning, preheat the oven to 350˚F. Bake the strata, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 30 minutes more, until golden and puffy (it will deflate a few minutes after removing from the oven). Serve hot.
