Spinach and Gruyere Strata

spinach + egg + gruyere. what more do you need?

Whenever I see recipes that actually call for Gruyere, I'm always excited. You see, in the States, Gruyere is a treat. It's something that requires a special trip to Whole Foods or Trader Joe's, and it's almost always outside of my grocery budget.

But in Switzerland? Gruyere is not only the cheapest cheese available, but is also found absolutely everywhere. Grocery stores, tiny markets, even gas stations all stock this nutty, semi-firm delicacy and I honestly can't get enough of it. Although I use Gruyere in pretty much everything-- grilled cheese, macaroni, scrambled eggs-- I've also been trying to take advantage of its availability and make several Gruyere-specific recipes. This strata is without a doubt one of my favorites.

Recipe
(adopted from this recipe)


Ingredients
6 cups stale bread, torn
3 tbs melted butter + 1 tbs softened butter
2 whole eggs and 2 egg whites
1.5 cups milk
2 tbs fresh sage, torn
3 garlic cloves, minced
1.5 cups Gruyere, grated
1 ounce Parmesan, grated
2.5 cups spinach
Salt and Pepper

mmm...stale bread!

Step 1: Using the softened butter, grease a medium-sized casserole dish

Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy. Whisk in the milk, sage, salt, pepper, melted butter, and garlic.

Step 3: Add the torn bread, spinach, and Gruyere. Make sure each piece of bread has fully absorbed the egg mixture.

whisk eggs, add bread, add spinach. 

Step 4:  Pour the egg-bread-spinach mixture into the casserole dish. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to sit on the counter for 1-2 hours (this is a great time to squeeze in a run!). At this point, you can also leave the strata overnight in the fridge. 

ready for the oven!

Step 5:  Bake until the top is brown and puffed and the strata is cooked through. In our crazy oven, this was about an hour, but the actual recipe calls for 45 minutes at 375 F.

bon appetit!