You’ll be staring at a stunning casserole that, endless Mimosas or not, should leave a lasting impression on your brunch visitors, even with just one layer of filling in the middle.
| Prep Time: | 20 mins |
| Cook Time: | 45 mins |
| Total Time: | 1 hr 5 mins |
| Servings: | 12 |
| Yield: | 12 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon bacon grease
- 1 (1 pound) loaf day-old bread, cubed
- 12 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1 pound sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
- 1 pound fresh spinach, wilted, squeezed dry
- 12 ounces shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
Instructions
- Oil bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch baking dish with about a tablespoon of bacon fat.
- Place bread cubes in a large mixing bowl.
- Crack eggs into a separate mixing bowl. Season with salt, pepper, cayenne, and nutmeg. Add cream and whisk mixture thoroughly.
- Pour egg/cream mixture over the bread cubes and mix to distribute ingredients evenly. Allow bread mixture to sit about 15 minutes to absorb the liquid.
- Transfer half of the bread mixture to the baking pan; spread evenly over the bottom and press mixture down a bit. Top with half of the grated Cheddar cheese. Add cooked bacon pieces in an even layer over the cheese. Place the cooked spinach over the bacon; top with half of the remaining cheese. Finish with the rest of the soaked bread cubes, spread evenly and pressed down slightly. Sprinkle with the rest of the grated cheese. Cover and let strata sit at room temperature for 1 hour before baking.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Bake strata in preheated oven until set, about 45 minutes. Optionally, you can broil the strata for a minute or two to brown the top.
- If you want something a little eggier, a little more quiche-like, just simply increase the amount of egg custard used. As long as your pan is deep enough, you could as much as double the eggs and cream in this.
- This is a very rich dish, so you may want to cut the cream with milk. In fact, many people use all milk for this, but I do enjoy the extra butterfat the cream provides. As usual, let your conscience be your guide.
- You can used thawed, drained frozen spinach instead of fresh. You’ll need enough to cover one layer.
- Instead of waiting for an hour to bake the prepared strata, you can bake it immediately or cover and refrigerate overnight and bake the next day.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 535 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 24 g |
| Cholesterol | 268 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Protein | 22 g |
| Saturated Fat | 20 g |
| Sodium | 1169 mg |
| Sugars | 2 g |
| Fat | 40 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
Delicious, the whole family loved it
Very delicious and filling but in my opinion does not need any salt – not with the cheddar and bacon. Other than that – perfect.
This was the perfect brunch item! I made as written the night before and it turned out beautifully the next day. Finishing the strata up under the broiler gave it a deliciously crunchy top. The final result was exceptionally balanced and the spinach cuts through the cheesy richness. This would be great to take to a Sunday brunch especially when you prep it the day before. Thanks, Chef John!
I made this recipe with the following substitutions: thick sliced applewood smoked bacon, brioche bread, 2 cups 1/2 & 1/2, + 1/2 cup heavy cream. So delicious!
Made for several group events/brunches – a hit every time! Replaced ‘day old bread’ with loaf of fresh made Boule bread sliced 1″ thick, toasted and cubed. Increased # of eggs by 2-4 and don’t skimp on heavy cream. . Added cooked red pepper to one variation. Keep close watch on baking time as fresh spinach may increase moisture.
Chef John always has the best recipes. I followed the recipe as given. I had only fresh baby spinach, so used that. Made for nice even layering. It came out delicious. Next time will add green onions, sausage, mushrooms and garlic (cannot ever have enough garlic) and experiment with various cheeses (maybe a blend, maybe goat cheese. After all as Chef John said, I am the Data of my Strata.☺ enjoy!
This is a rich, flavorful strata recipe. I always find a Chef John recipe as they never disappoint! I added some grilled onions and sweet red bell peppers. I also cooked this in a Bundt pan. It was just delicious and my guests loved it!
I made this as a make ahead breakfast for a gang of 10 guys at a camp in Maine. It was a big hit. I opted for the ham and broccoli variation with half and half. It traveled well and reheated well. Even the food snobs in the group liked it. Bloody Marys were served.
I made this to change up the usual “Breakfast for Dinner” night. This was delicious & the leftovers will make a great breakfast tomorrow morning. I followed the recipe mostly with just a few minor adjustments. I cooked the bacon strips on a sheet pan in the oven (@ 375 for 17 minutes), then crumbled after they were cooled. I added a layer caramelized onions.
One loaf of French or sourdough bread is just perfect for this recipe. I made the mistake of adding a little extra because I thought I didn’t have enough for a top and bottom layer. It’s okay that there are not bread pieces covering the entire bottom. The egg with bake and fill in the holes. The combo of middle ingredients to the top and bottom layer of bread is perfect. I used frozen spinach as one reviewer suggested and it was great.
I made exact recipe but next time I’ll tweak spinach. I will sautee spinach with some garlic and onions.
I needed to use up some spinach and with cheese and bacon this has everything a person could love! Changes: reduced the amount of everything since it was going to be cooked in toaster oven. Added a clove of minced garlic and some green onion to the spinach layer. Used mexican blend shredded cheese rather than cheddar because it’s what was on hand. Put a layer of uncooked bacon on the bottom because in a toaster oven it gets HOT on the bottom; the bacon got cooked thoroughly without the messy cooking separately and the custard layer got cooked thoroughly without burning. Last change was only one layer of bread so it was: bacon (uncooked), bread custard, fresh spinach (uncooked), shredded cheese. 40min on about 375F (toaster oven is old so I’m guessing on the temp) This is a recipe I’ll use (and adapt) again and again! Thanks Chef John!
It was easy to make and tasted excellent.
Provolone **
One of my all time favorite recipes! I have substituted 2 cans of evaporated milk for the cream and have also used 16 oz. of sour cream – both worked out perfectly. When we rent a condo for vacation, this is the recipe that I make to use up leftovers the day before we check out. We can then microwave any remaining for a quick breakfast the next morning before we get on the road!! Thank you, Chef John!
It turned out very good. I would make it again.
I made this for Christmas day and my family really enjoyed it. It was easy to make and delicious. I wouldn’t change a thing about the recipe.
Delicious and easy, what could be better than that . Followed the recipe without changes just to see how it tasted and I would t change a thing. I used fresh spinach that I wilted in a steamer. Even my picky eater grandson ate it. Definitely will make again.
This was really good! My kids were turned off by the spinach, but they did eat and enjoy bites without it! Could easily substitute a different meat if needed.
Absolutely amazing. My entire family love this breakfast dish. The only ingredient I didn’t add was the nutmeg and i cut the amount of salt in half. I will be making this again.
I made this for Christmas morning. I loved the flavor of the sharp cheddar, spinach and bacon. It was a big hit with my mom, who is 83 and my son, who is 17!