About the Recipe
adapted from America’s Test Kitchen
Our Spinach, Gouda and Sweet Curry Strata is a unique and flavorful spin on a favorite comfort food. Crusty and pillowy soft bread, rich custard, robust spinach, creamy gouda, and bold curry spices. You can prepare and assemble this strata the night before for an impressive entertaining Spring holiday brunch or a no-fuss dinner alongside a quick salad.
Ingredients
8 oz (10-12 slices) store-bought French bread, cut to ½-inch thick slices
5 T butter, unsalted, room temperature, divided
2 shallots, minced
1 1/2 t curry powder
10 oz frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry, and chopped
6 eggs
1 3/4 cups half and half
salt and pepper
Directions
Step 1
Preheat oven to 250 degrees and adjust rack to middle position. Arrange sliced bread on sheet pan and bake until dry and crisp, 30-40 minutes. Alternatively, you can lay the bread slices out in a single layer on your kitchen counter overnight to dry. Let bread slices cool slightly, then butter bread on one side with 2 tablespoons of butter. Set aside.
Step 2
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add shallots, sauté until just beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Add curry powder, and continue to cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Fold in prepared spinach until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
Step 3
Prepare an 8x8-inch baking dish with the remaining one tablespoon of butter. Arrange half the bread, buttered-side up, in a single layer. Over bread slices sprinkle half of the spinach mixture, then 1/2 cup of cheese, followed by 1/3 cup of Sweet Curry granola. Arrange the remaining bread in a single layer on top of granola, then layer remaining spinach, 1/2 cup of cheese, and 1/3 cup of granola. Reserve the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and 1/3 cup of granola for just before baking.
Step 4
In a medium bowl whisk eggs until combined, add half and half, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Poor custard over bread layers. Lay an oversized piece of plastic wrap flush on the surface, then weigh down (see note), and transfer to the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Step 5
Remove strata from refrigerator and let it come to room temperature while preheating your oven to 325 degrees. Remove plastic wrap and sprinkle with remaining cheese and granola. Bake on middle rack of oven until puffed and golden and edges have pulled away slightly from sides of dish, 50-55 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 15 minutes before serving.
Note: Weighing down the strata overnight ensures all the egg mixture is absorbed leading to an irresistibly fluffy, custardy texture once baked. America’s Test Kitchen recommends using two 1-pound boxes of sugar (they fit nicely side by side) or filling a gallon zipper-lock bag with 2 pounds of rice or beans.
Super fortunate to bring some amazing flavors together in our recipe collaboration with Sweet Grass Dairy. This second-generation, family-owned creamery is based in Thomasville, Georgia. They produce handmade artisan cheese from cow’s milk. Their cows are raised barn-free, grazing on fresh grass year-round on their 3 regeneratively farmed dairies. They then use this incredibly high-quality milk to produce a variety of award-winning aged, soft-ripened, and fresh cow’s milk cheeses. To learn more about Sweet Grass Dairy or to purchase their products please visit their website here. Trust us, their cheeses will quickly become a must-have on your charcuterie boards!