Cheesy Spinach Stuffing Brunch Strata Recipes

STUFFING & SAUSAGE STRATA

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook sausage and mushrooms over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until meat is no longer pink, breaking into crumbles; drain., In a greased 13x9-in. baking dish, layer half of each of the following; stuffing, cheese and sausage mixture. Repeat layers. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk and salt until blended. Pour over layers. Refrigerate, covered, overnight., Preheat oven to 325°. Remove strata from refrigerator while oven heats. Bake, uncovered, 1-1-1/4 hours or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

SPINACH AND CHEESE STRATA

Steps:

• Squeeze handfuls of spinach to remove as much liquid as possible, then finely chop.
• Cook onion in butter in a large heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and nutmeg and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in spinach, then remove from heat.
• Spread one third of bread cubes in a buttered 3-quart gratin dish or other shallow ceramic baking dish and top evenly with one third of spinach mixture. Sprinkle with one third of each cheese. Repeat layering twice (ending with cheeses).
• Whisk together milk, eggs, mustard, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl and pour evenly over strata. Chill strata, covered with plastic wrap, at least 8 hours (for bread to absorb custard).
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Let strata stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
• Bake strata, uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed, golden brown, and cooked through, 45 to 55 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

MAKE-AHEAD CHEESY SPINACH AND EGG STRATA

Steps:

• Squeeze out as much of the moisture as possible from the spinach, then chop finely.
• Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Add in the fresh mushrooms and saute for about 10-12 minutes, or until they loose their moisture completely; remove to a bowl.
• Add in onion with nutmeg, salt and cayenne and saute for 5 minutes (adding in the garlic the last few minutes) then stir in the chopped spinach; saute for 2 minutes.
• Transfer the mixture to the bowl with the mushrooms; mix to combine slightly.
• Butter a 4-quart casserole dish.
• Spread 1/3 of the cubed bread into the prepared baking dish.
• Top with 1/3 of the spinach/mushroom mixture.
• Sprinkle with 1/3 of BOTH cheeses.
• Repeat layering twice (ending with the cheeses).
• In a bowl whisk together half and half, milk, eggs, mustard.
• Pour the milk mixture evenly over the strata in the baking dish.
• Cover with plastic and chill for about 8 hours or up to 24 hours or until the bread is absorbed in the milk.
• When ready to bake, let the dish stay out at room temperature for about 40 minutes before baking.
• Set oven to 350°F (second-lowest oven rack).
• Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown.
• Delicious!

SPINACH-AND-FONTINA STRATA

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes. Fill pan with as much spinach as will fit; cook, stirring, adding remainder a handful at a time as space allows. When all the spinach is wilted, stir in pepper and nutmeg. Drain spinach in a sieve. When cool enough to handle, squeeze excess moisture from spinach by hand.
• Butter a 3-quart baking dish. Place a third of the bread in a single layer in dish. Top with half the spinach mixture and a third of the cheeses. Repeat layering with a third of the bread, remaining spinach mixture, and a third of the cheeses, then top with remaining bread.
• Whisk together 6 eggs, 2 cups milk, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and carefully pour over bread. Cover with parchment, and gently press down with hands until egg mixture soaks through top of bread. Cover parchment with foil, and refrigerate at least 8 hours and up to 2 days.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, remove strata from refrigerator, uncover, and let stand 30 minutes. Whisk together remaining 2 eggs and 2/3 cup milk, and pour over strata, gently pressing between layers of bread with a spoon or spatula to ensure that egg mixture seeps to bottom. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Bake until puffed and golden brown in places, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before serving.

CHEESY SAUSAGE AND SPINACH BREAKFAST STRATA

Steps:

• 1. Butter a 9x13 casserole dish and add half the croissant cubes.
• 2. Melt the butter in a medium skillet and saute the onion on medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
• 3. Stir in the drained spinach until mixed.
• 4. Spoon spinach and onions on croissant cubes.
• 5. Brown the sausage.
• 6. Sprinkle sausage and half the cheese in baking dish.
• 7. Top with remaining croissant cubes and the rest of the cheese.
• 8. In a blender, mix eggs, half and half, mustard, salt, pepper, and basil.
• 9. Pour evenly over the casserole to moisten all of the croissant pieces. Gently press down with a fork to get all of the croissants dampened.
• 10. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
• 11. Heat oven to 350. Remove plastic wrap and bake until puffed and golden brown. About 45-55 minutes.
• 12. Cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

CHEESY SPINACH & STUFFING BRUNCH STRATA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375ºF.
• Cook and stir onions and peppers in large skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat 5 min. or until crisp-tender. Remove from heat. Stir in spinach.
• Prepare stuffing as directed on package. Add to spinach mixture along with the eggs and oregano; mix well.
• Spoon into 8-inch square pan sprayed with cooking spray; top with cheese.
• Bake 35 min. or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 min. before cutting to serve.