Recipes
Return to previous pageBreakfast Strata
(7 ratings)
Baby spinach leaves, earthy mushrooms and lean ham make our savory bread pudding one of the best. It’s a wonderful dish for entertaining, since it can be assembled the night before and refrigerated until ready to bake the next morning.
- Preparation Time: 15 minutes
- Cooking Time: 55 minutes
- Standing Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hours, 20 minutes
- Servings: 6
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 8 ounces sliced crimini mushrooms
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt, divided
- 6 ounces baby spinach
- 8 ounces low-sodium deli ham, cubed
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 5 ounces (about 8-10 Italian bread, torn into 2-inch pieces
- 1 cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
- 8 large egg whites
- 2 large eggs
- 2 1/2 cups 1% milk
Instructions
- Spray a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Spray a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray and warm over medium heat. Add the onion, mushrooms and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Cover and cook until the mushrooms release their liquid, about 3 minutes. Uncover and stir in the spinach until wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in the ham, basil, 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper and the nutmeg. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Scatter half of the bread pieces over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Spoon the vegetable mixture on top and sprinkle evenly with the cheddar. Scatter the remaining bread pieces on top.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the egg whites, eggs, milk, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Pour evenly over the bread. At this point you can cover and refrigerate until ready to bake or bake after allowing to soak for 10-15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Uncover the baking dish and place in a large roasting pan. Add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake 50 to 60 minutes, until browned and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes for easier serving.
Tips
- Allowing the strata to sit overnight and baking in a water bath, result in a creamier, softer texture.
- If you can't find low-fat cheese, use reduced-fat and reduce to 1/2 cup.
Client Comments
- Ben
- 9/2/2010
- Really like this recipe. I did not need to use the water bath to enjoy a smooth consistency. Made the night before and overnighted it in the fridge. One thing that needs to be clarified/fixed in the recipe is that the ingredients list deli ham, but in the directions it references bacon. Believe me, I'd love to have it with bacon, but I guessed that indeed leaner deli ham was what the intention is. Nice to have a good supply of breakfasts now too. And, as an aside, you could serve this to anyone for brunch and they'd never know it was k-balanced, etc.
- Michele
- 8/2/2010
- Really fantastic and filling! I can't believe this is only a K3. I used freshly grated nutmeg in this and you can really taste the freshness of the spices. I also added a couple of garlic cloves during the initial saute and some hot sauce to the egg mixture before it went into the pan. Yum!
- Jules
- 8/1/2010
- Hmmm... the flavor was fantastic, loved the basil. But, the texture was super soggy, and kinda gross. I think I will make it again, but next time will not soak the bread overnight, and will not cook in a water bath. We'll see if that helps.
- Frances Skeete
- 7/19/2010
- I used multi-gran bread, instead of Italian bread and it didn't take away from the taste. I can't believe this is only a K3.
- Annelizabeth
- 2/2/2010
- Post-Script- I did not let it sit for any amount of time . . .it went right into the oven. I didn't cover it nor did I put it into a water bath. It cooked evenly and came out moist with a nice crusty top. So, go figure. Bon Apetite!
- Annelizabeth
- 2/2/2010
- I prepared this recipe ALMOST exactly as written. I used whole eggs, as the recipe calls for, I substituted diced low-salt ham steak for the canadian bacon, (same-same as far as nutrients, fat, etc.) and I used a wonderful crusty semolina italian bread cut in 1 inch cubes. I baked this in a classic Pyrex 9x13 @ 350 degrees until the center was set and it had a nice brown top. Very delicious, very satisfying, very flavorful. Try this. Keep in mind that you can substitute your cheese . . .a low-fat swiss or gruyere would be excellent in this recipe also.
- Leslie G.
- 10/12/2009
- I used the egg white that come in quarts and I think that may have made this kinda wet and the bottom was mushy. My eyes were bigger than my stomach, so I took a 1/4 portion instead of 1/6. I wasn't able to finish even 1/2 of the 1/4 portion. Super filling! I'm not a breakfast person and I made this for my day 1 breakfast. Maybe as the weeks go by, I'll be able to finish a 1/6 portion.
- Craig Richard Nelson
- 10/5/2009
- This is delicious! I did not have the roasting pan so just put a casserole of water in the oven along with the Strata and it came out fine!
