Here is another delicious breakfast strata. Instead of using the prosciutto and pesto, I used sun-dried tomatoes, spinach and mushrooms. This is perfect for the brunch table and hearty enough to serve to your girlfriends in the evening, paired with a nice big green salad. Your vegetarian friends will love you for making it meatless. Quite honestly, I don’t think anyone will even notice.
Chop the sundried tomatoes, then drain them on a paper towel. I prefer the sundried tomatoes that have been marinating in olive oil. They are a little more flavorful, but you do need to make sure that they are drained well.
Chop the fresh spinach.
In a large skillet melt 1 tablespoon of butter, then add half of the minced shallots and half of the minced garlic. Saute for about 1 or 2 minutes.
Add in the chopped spinach. Stir well to coat with the butter. Lightly season with salt and pepper.
Once the spinach is wilted, put into a colander to drain any excess liquid. Set aside.
In same skillet melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, add the remaining shallots and garlic and saute for a minute. Add in the mushrooms. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Stir well, saute for about 10 minutes on medium heat. Once there is no more liquid in pan and the mushrooms are soft, remove from heat and set aside.
Now we start to layer. Lightly spray a 9×13 inch pan with cooking spray. Layer the bread (without any overlapping or crowding) on the bottom of the pan. Top with the spinach and the sun-dried tomatoes.
Now l ayer with the mushrooms.
Sprinkle the freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top.
Ending the middle layer with 3/4 cup of Gruyere cheese. You could even use a little bit of tomato and basil flavored feta cheese and a sprinkling of pine nuts here, too.
Be creative.
Play with your food!
Top with remaining bread.
And the rest of the Gruyere cheese.
In a medium bowl whisk together the milk and the eggs.
Evenly pour over the top of the strata.
Top strata with the freshly sliced tomatoes. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Cover strata with foil and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight. When ready to bake be sure to take out of the refrigerator about 1 hour before. Then pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and bake for about 45 to 55 minutes or until set in the middle and lightly golden brown on top. Let sit for about 10 minutes after it comes out of the oven. Slice and serve.
This delicious and savory strata will be the hit of your gathering.
