Photo: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
Whether you’re prepping for a busy week ahead or hosting a weekend brunch party, a make-ahead egg casserole is the time saver you need. Breakfast strata not only allow you to build in more “me-time,” but they’re exceptionally flexible in their flavor possibilities, so you can do a holistic fridge clear-out should the need arise. In my case, the need to use an entire tub of Trader Joe’s Spinach dip arose. That’s fine. Strata was made for this.
Strata is the Italian iteration of a savory bread pudding. Like many classic dishes we love today, it serves as a creative, waste-reducing way to use up scraps, leftovers, and ingredients that are on their way out. Have a dried up baguette you didn’t get to? Throw it in! Four leftover meatballs from dinner on Friday? Chop ‘em up! Half a container of sage that’s suffering in a drawer? Everyone’s invited! As long as you keep the accessories savory, you won’t be disappointed.
Any bread pudding, sweet or savory, is composed primarily of two parts: the bread and the custard. The dry bread is designed to be the soaker, because it’s lacking moisture of its own. The bread will be able to pull in the maximum amount of egg custard, the soakee. (These are definitely technical terms that I didn’t make up.) If you’re using fresh bread for this purpose, you’ll want to throw it in the oven to dry it out. The bread can be pretty much whatever you have laying around (sourdough, croissants, torn up bagels), and the custard offers some wiggle room, too. It’s usually composed of eggs and milk, but you can change up the base to add flavor, say with a tub of dip.
Since packaged dips commonly use a combination of sour cream, mayonnaise, or cream cheese as the base, simply cutting it with a small amount of milk will loosen it up enough to stand in for the dairy in the custard. Instead of using a large quantity of relatively bland milk, you’re adding tangy notes from the sour cream or cream cheese, richness from the fats, and any of the delicious ingredients that are in the dip in the first place. Any dip should do—onion dip, ranch dip, chipotle dip, buffalo dip, or, as I used, spinach dip.
Putting together the strata is surprisingly simple. Once you have the dry bread cubed and set aside, prepare the custard filling. Scramble the eggs in a large bowl, then whisk in the dip, milk, and any seasonings, herbs, or accessories you’d like. It will look like an intimidatingly large scrambled egg bath with a load of ingredients. Dump in the cubed bread. At this point it’s easiest to mix in the bread via the combo move of pressing down on the bread while scooping from the bottom of the bowl, over on top of itself. After a few turns, the bread cubes should all be well coated in custard.
Pour the mixture into a well-buttered casserole dish, cover securely, and store in the fridge for at least 45 minutes, or up to 24 hours ahead of time. When you’re ready, bake the strata for about 30 minutes.
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The following recipe uses spinach dip, but I wanted to bump up the green-factor, so I added sautéed fresh spinach to the custard mix. I used a spinach dip from Trader Joe’s (highly recommended), but you can absolutely substitute a different dip. Along with chopped spinach, this one includes tiny pieces of water chestnuts, which remained surprisingly crunchy even after baking. The finished strata is fluffy, rich, and satisfying—perfect for serving at a brunch party, or baking on Sunday night and storing in the fridge for a week’s worth of breakfasts.
Spinach Dip Strata
Ingredients:
6 large eggs¾ cup milk1 tub of Trader Joe’s Spinach Dip (10 ounces)½ teaspoon garlic powder½ teaspoon cayenne pepper powder½ teaspoon salt¾ cup cooked, chopped spinach8 ounces of dry bread, cubed (I used dry brioche)⅓ cup shredded parmesan cheese (or any cheese you have)Butter a casserole dish, and set aside. (Use any shape of oven safe cookware. For a thinner strata use a 13 x 9-inch baking dish, or for taller slices use a 10-inch baking dish or cast iron skillet.)
Thoroughly whisk the first three ingredients together, then whisk in the next three ingredients. Switch to a rubber spatula and mix in the chopped spinach. Add the dry bread, stir and coat the cubes in the egg mixture. Pour the strata mixture into the prepared baking dish. Cover securely, and let it soak in the fridge for 45 minutes, or up to 24 hours.
Sprinkle the cheese on top before baking. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes depending on the size of the baking dish. The strata is done with the edges are puffed and the center is set with no liquidy spots. Enjoy hot, or cool completely and store, covered, in the fridge for up to five days. Reheat slices in the microwave for 30 seconds. This recipe makes eight servings.
