Cheesy Vegetable Breakfast Strata

An overhead view of a breakfast strata in a square casserole dish with fresh basil on the side and on top.

5 from 6 votes

A delicious make-ahead, overnight breakfast or brunch casserole with hearty chunks of Italian bread, spinach, onion, ripe cherry tomatoes and rich Gruyere cheese.

Prep Time30

Cook Time45

Overnight Resting8

Total Time9 15

Course: Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine: American

Keyword: casserole, cheese, eggs, onion, spinach

Servings: serving

Calories: 488kcal

Author: Tricia

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil divided
4 cups Italian bread cut into 1-inch cubes (about half of a 1 pound loaf)
salt and pepper
1 sweet onion diced
1 clove garlic minced
1 cup cherry tomatoes sliced in half with some pulp squeezed out / removed
3 cups fresh baby spinach packed, about 3 ounces
1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves julienned or fresh thyme leaves
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper optional
2 ounces Gruyere cheese shredded (about ¾ cup)
¼ cup fresh grated Parmesan packed (about 1 ounce)
4 large eggs
1 ¼ cups half-and-half (10oz) or half cream and half milk

Instructions

Lightly spray a small casserole dish with vegetable cooking spray. (A deep dish 9-inch square casserole works well here.)
In a large bowl toss the bread cubes together with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and cook, tossing occasionally, until they are light brown. Remove the pan from the heat. Put half the bread in the casserole dish and the other half in the large mixing bowl. Set aside to cool.
Wipe out the skillet and add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Heat until shimmering then add the onions. Sauté the onions until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, crushed red pepper (if using) and a dash of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly for about 1 minute or until the garlic is fragrant. Add the spinach and cook until the the spinach is wilted. Remove from the heat.
Sprinkle half the cheeses over the bread cubes in the casserole then top with the spinach onion mixture, half the tomatoes and the basil. Layer the remaining bread cubes over the spinach then the remaining tomatoes, Gruyere and Parmesan.
In the large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and half-and-half. Season with a dash of salt and pepper. Gently pour the eggs over the spinach and bread cubes.
Cover the casserole with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Thirty (30) minutes before baking remove the casserole from the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the plastic wrap and bake uncovered until the custard is set about 45 to 50 minutes or until the top is golden brown. If over-browning tent the pan with foil during the last 15 minutes.
Cool for 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with more fresh basil leaves.

Notes

Recipe is easily doubled to serve a large family
Add cooked, drained sausage or bacon if desired.
See post for additional notes for variations and add-ins.
Rewarm leftovers in the microwave or cover with foil and bake in the oven at 325F until warmed through.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition