Spinach and Cheddar Wheat Strata

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I recently received a complimentary loaf of Nature's Pride Hearty Wheat with Flax bread. 

Since Bret and I don't eat a lot of sandwiches or toast, I wanted to find a creative way to use the bread.  I went through my recipe book and found a recipe that I previously tore out from Everyday Food for a Spinach and Cheddar Strata.  I modified this recipe a bit by adding some leftover yellow onion, sliced baby bella mushrooms, garlic and yellow pepper.

First, I gathered my ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 10 ounces spinach
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 package of sliced baby bella mushrooms
• 1/2 yellow pepper, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 cups day-old bread cubes (1 inch)
• 5 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 1/4 cup grated sharp white cheddar (3 ounces)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

I cubed three cups of the Nature's Pride Hearty Wheat with Flax bread.  Since the bread was fresh, I staled them by putting the pieces on an aluminum foil-lined baking tray and putting them in the oven at 250 degrees.  I baked the cubed bread in the oven for about ten minutes until they had the texture of day-old bread.

While the bread was baking, I chopped up the onion and pepper.

After I removed the bread from the oven, I sprayed a casserole dish with baking spray.  I warmed my Dutch oven on the stove and added the olive oil.  I added the onion, yellow pepper and mushrooms to the pan and cooked them until the onions began to soften.

Using a garlic press, I added four minced cloves of garlic to the pan and cooked about a minute longer.  I then removed the vegetables from the pan with a slotted spoon and set it aside.

I then added the spinach to the Dutch oven and cooked the spinach until it wilted.  You can add more olive oil if it is needed. 

When the spinach was wilted, I transferred it to a colander and pressed the spinach with a spatula to get out as much excess liquid and moisture as possible.

I added the bread, mixed vegetables and spinach to the casserole dish and made sure to mix everything up in the casserole dish.

In a medium bowl, I lightly beat the five eggs.  I then whisked in the eggs and 3/4 cup cheese.  I also seasoned the the mixture with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

I poured the dairy mixture on top of the bread and vegetable mixture in the casserole dish.  I sprinkled the top of the strata with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese. 

The strata can be assembled and refrigerated for up to six hours before baking.  I prepared this a few hours before dinner so about a half hour before dinner, I preheated the oven to 400 degrees.  I baked the strata for about thirty minutes until the strata was set in the middle and golden brown on top. 

When I cut into the strata, I was surprised to find that there was some liquid at the bottom of the casserole dish.  Since I strained the spinach well, I'd have to guess that the excess moisture came from the mushrooms, which can retain a lot of liquid.  All that being said, the strata was still delicious and so filling between the bread and vegetables.  Of course, what I really enjoyed most was the cheese in the strata.  I would even consider using a cheese blend instead of just cheddar in the future.

We ate the spinach and cheddar wheat strata with a side salad for dinner, but this is obviously more traditionally served for breakfast.  I think this strata would be a great dish for brunch and I especially like that is a vegetarian dish so that everyone can enjoy it.

Today is the last day to enter my West Bend Versatility Cooker giveaway!  Don't forget to enter before 11:59 PM EST tonight!