Spinach and Broccoli Strata
Brunches at home are a great way to spend time with family and friends without the hassle of fighting weekend lineups at your nearest diner or trendy breakfast spot. When you have brunch at home, you get to make exactly what you want, and eat it exactly when you want. Now doesn’t that sound like the perfect morning?
A reliable egg dish is a vital strategy for achieving brunch bliss. It’s inexpensive and always a crowd-pleaser. Options abound when it comes to egg dishes: frittata, quiche, sunny-side up, scrambled, poached… the list goes on and on.
When cooking brunch for a crowd, one great breakfast dish to make is strata, a baked eggs dish that features layers of bread, eggs, and cheese. It can be baked in large batches, making the preparation and cooking process a lot easier on the day of your brunch. Compared to managing eggs benedicts or individual omelets, strata is hands-down the way to go.
Strata is quite versatile, so feel free to mix up the filling with whatever you have on hand. This Spinach and Broccoli Strata features a great balance of colors and flavors; the broccoli adds a toothsome texture and pretty pop of green, and the crumbled feta cheese adds a salty, creamy component.
You can prepare this Spinach and Broccoli Strata the night before and let it rest in the fridge. Then, all you need to do in the morning is pop it in the oven to bake (this may increase the baking time). This recipe makes a large portion (serves eight), so feel free to refrigerate any extras to enjoy the next day.
Ingredients:
- Hot water
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 4 tsp. olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 8 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 cups reduced-fat (2%) milk
- 2 cups raw spinach, chopped
- ½ tsp. sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
- ½ tsp. ground black pepper
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 8 slices low-sodium sprouted whole grain bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese (about 1½ oz.)
Instructions
Here are your instructions:
Boil water in steamer or large saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high. Place broccoli in steamer basket; cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until tender-crisp and bright green. Place in ice water bath to stop cooking process. Drain and coarsely chop. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350º F.
Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Add onion; cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 6 minutes, or until onion is translucent.
Add garlic; cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Set aside.
Combine eggs, milk, spinach, salt, pepper, broccoli, and onion mixture in a large bowl; mix well.
Place bread and cheese in 3-quart baking dish that has been lightly coated with spray.
Top with egg mixture. Press down gently so that bread absorbs egg mixture. Cover with aluminum foil.
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil; bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until strata has puffed up, is cooked through, and is lightly browned on top.
Recipe Notes
Tip: Strata can be covered and refrigerated overnight before baking. (This may increase baking time.) This works well if you are serving it for brunch.
