savory bread pudding (strata) with spinach, mushrooms, and roasted garlic
April 8, 2021
Your new favorite make-ahead-of-time breakfast!
This is one of those great “no recipe” recipes, thanks to epi’s “How to Make Strata”. They recommend a ratio of 1 part milk + 1 part eggs + 1 part cheese + 1 part add-ins (optional) + 2 parts bread. Today’s add-ins are sauteed mushrooms with sauteed baby spinach and roasted garlic. But you can add almost ANYTHING. What about leftover stewed greens with leftover jerk chicken? Or leftover jambalaya with andouille sausage and bell peppers? Chorizo and salsa with roasted tomatillos or serrano peppers? Make sure to cook your add-ins ahead of time, unless it’s a fresh herb or something delicate and fresh. If you’re using something with high water content like spinach, make sure to squeeze it before adding it so the strata isn’t soggy. I’ll share my recipe, but don’t be constrained by this: almost any cheese, any meat, any veggies would be amazing in this!
1 part milk + 1 part eggs + 1 part cheese + 1 part add-ins (optional) + 2 parts bread
1 loaf bread, cut into bite-sized cubes
milk and/or cream (can even add cream cheese! I did, because I had some in the house, inspired by Melissa Roberts for Gourmet magazine)
soooo many eggs (I used maybe 9)
1 pack mushrooms
1/2 head garlic
1 pack spinach
3/4 brick of Swiss (or cheddar, or whatever,) or to taste, shredded
a little blue cheese, grated parmesan, or whatever you have in the house
thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, seasoned salt, or whatever you like
salt and pepper
toast bread in a 250 degree oven until crispy, ~5-10 minutes
roast garlic at 450 until paper is burnt, remove cloves from paper
saute mushrooms and spinach. season
butter your baking dish, and begin to layer ingredients. pour custard mixture over the ingredients. top with cheese, if desired. cover baking dish with foil, and rest between an hour and 24 hours.
preheat oven to 350. bake ~20 minutes wrapped in foil, then remove foil and continue baking for another 15 to 30 minutes depending on the size of your strata. epi says it’s set when the center no longer jiggles.
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This is REALLY good. Not only was it easy to make, it was very affordable, kept wonderfully in the fridge all week, and made me excited to eat my veggies! I can’t wait to try this with broccoli and sharp cheddar, or fresh dill and asparagus. & I think the Serious Eats suggestion for a French onion strata sounds incredible… but it is just begging for some veggies….
You are only limited by your imagination here. The internet suggests ham-and-cheese stratas, as well as some really wild-sounding variations like tomato-and-basil, butternut squash and prosciutto, and, believe it or not, a reuben strata with sauerkraut and pumpernickel bread. What’s your favorite savory bread pudding?
fried sig 
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