Spinach, Mushroom and Cheese Strata

A strata, or stratta, is a purely American invention, even though it sounds Italian. Strata are always made with leftover bread of some kind, mixed with egg and cheese at the very least.  This healthy strata has cheese, fresh spinach, mushrooms and eggs and uses a very sturdy whole-grain bread.  The hearty look of this strata disguises the fact that it’s made with all low-fat, healthful ingredients that make a great brunch or dinner entree! 

Total Time: 3 3/4 hours

Ingredients (6-8 servings)

• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 sweet onions, chopped
• 8 ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh spinach, cooked, squeezed dry and chopped
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 fresh Italian plum tomatoes, chopped
• 8 cups day-old whole-grain bread
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup fat-free milk
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1-1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preparation 

·         Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

·         Sauté the onion until just opaque.

·         Add mushrooms and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes.

·         Add spinach, salt, nutmeg and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and continue cooking for one minute. Remove from heat and set aside.

·         Spread one third of the bread cubes in a buttered baking dish.

·         Top with one-third of spinach mixture and 1/2 of cheese mixture. Repeat layering twice with remaining bread, spinach and cheese.

·         Whisk eggs, milk, mustard and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in a large bowl and pour evenly over strata.

·         Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours.

After 8 hours in the frig (or the next day) let the strata stand at room temperature for 30 minutes while preheating the oven to 350°F. Bake strata, uncovered, in middle of oven for 40 minutes.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake an additional 10 minutes until golden and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Per serving: 317 calories; 15 g fat ( 6 g sat , 5 g mono ); 99 mg cholesterol; 26 g carbohydrates; 1 g added sugars; 20 g protein; 5 g fiber; 683 mg sodium; 641 mg potassium.