Many recipes for this savory bread pudding are soggy and laden with excessive custard and ingredients, rendering this simple casserole an overindulgence. Looking for a breakfast or brunch casserole that was simple, with just enough richness to satisfy, we considered the bread. Whole dried bread slices had the best texture and appearance, and buttering them added richness. We carefully selected a few complementary ingredients for the filling, and we sautéed them to remove excess moisture and prevent the casserole from becoming waterlogged. Weighting down the assembled strata overnight improved its texture, and we could bake it the following morning for a perfect make-ahead breakfast. We found that two 1-pound boxes of brown or confectioners’ sugar, laid side by side over the plastic wrap, make ideal weights. The recipe can be doubled and assembled in a greased 13 by 9-inch baking dish; increase the baking time to 1 hour and 20 minutes. Substitute any semisoft melting cheese, such as Havarti, sharp cheddar, or Colby, for the Gruyère.
Ingredients
- 8–10 (½-inch-thick) slices French or Italian bread
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 4 shallots, minced
- Salt and pepper
- 10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 6 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded (1½ cups)
- 6 large eggs
- 1¾ cups half-and-half
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 225 degrees. Arrange bread in single layer on rimmed baking sheet and bake until dry and crisp, about 40 minutes, flipping slices halfway through baking. Let bread cool slightly, then spread 2 tablespoons butter evenly over 1 side of bread slices.
- Meanwhile, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and pinch salt and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in spinach and cook until warmed through, about 2 minutes; transfer to bowl. Add wine to now-empty skillet and simmer over medium-high heat until reduced to ¼ cup, about 3 minutes; set aside to cool.
- Grease 8-inch square baking dish. Arrange half of bread slices, buttered side up, in single layer in dish. Sprinkle half of spinach mixture and ½ cup Gruyère over top. Repeat with remaining bread, remaining spinach mixture, and ½ cup Gruyère to make second layer.
- Whisk eggs, reduced wine, half-and-half, 1 teaspoon salt, and pinch pepper together in bowl, then pour evenly over top of bread and cheese in dish. Cover dish tightly with plastic wrap, pressing it flush to surface. Weight down strata and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Meanwhile, let strata sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Unwrap strata and top with remaining ½ cup Gruyère. Bake until edges and center are puffed and edges have pulled away slightly from sides of dish, 50 to 55 minutes. Let casserole cool for 5 minutes before serving.
