Make-Ahead Veggie Strata

I love to have people over for brunch. I am in favor of any event that gives me an excuse to drink champagne during daylight hours.  What I don’t love is getting up early to cook, so I like to look for things I can make ahead of time. Wow, I sound really decadent and lazy.  I’m really not. Promise.

A strata is a basically a savory bread pudding.  It’s eggy, and custardy, and cheesy, and delicious.  It’s the perfect make-ahead brunch dish.  You can assemble it the night before and bake it while your friends are having their first glass of bubbly.  Another nice feature of a strata is that you can customize it to meet the needs of your guests.  As long as you cook it first, you can add pretty much any meat (crumbled Italian sausage is awesome in this) or veggie to suit everyone’s taste.  Serves 8

• 1 and 1/2 loaves of crusty French or Italian bread, torn into cubes (about ten C.)
• 1 C. fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 t. olive oil, divided
• 4-5 C. broccoli florets
• 2 large leeks, white and light green parts, sliced
• 2 shallots, diced
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 t. red pepper flakes
• 1 t. Herbes d’ Provence, or dried basil or oregano
• 3-4 C. spinach leaves
• 2 C. grated asiago, mozzarella, parmesan mixture, (Swiss would also work well), divided
• 12 eggs
• 1 C. heavy cream
• 2 C. milk

 

Distribute the bread cubes and parsley evenly in a 13 x 9 inch baking dish, set aside. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the broccoli on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle 1 t. oil over it.  Sprinkle the broccoli with salt and roast in the oven for about 20 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, heat a skillet with the remaining 1 t. of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and shallots, a little salt and pepper, and the red pepper flakes and dry herbs.  Stirring occasionally, cook until the leeks are tender and the shallots are starting to caramelize. Add the spinach and stir until wilted. Remove from heat.  Whisk the eggs, cream and milk until well blended.  Sprinkle half of the cheese over the bread and add the leek mixture and the roasted broccoli.  Use your hands or a pair of tongs to gently toss everything together so that it is well distributed.  Pour the egg mixture over the whole thing and top with the remaining 1 C. of cheese.  Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Remove the dish from the fridge about thirty minutes before baking.  Bake at 350 uncovered until the egg mixture is set and the cheese is melted and golden, about thirty to forty minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

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