I’m blessed to live in a town with lots of farms. Hopefully, when we resettle in our new homestead I’ll have a large vegetable garden again. Until then, I’ll just get fresh tomatoes from the farm stands!
Fresh tomatoes and spinach pair well with nutty Asiago and tangy feta cheese in this make-ahead dish that’s great for lunch, brunch, or dinner. Substitute Parmesan, Romano, or sharp provolone cheese for the Asiago, if you prefer. Presliced mushrooms and packaged spinach provide a head start. A single serving of this strata contains about a third of your daily calcium needs. Courtesy of MyRecipes.com
Ingredients
- 1 (8-ounce) loaves French bread baguette, cut into 1-inch-thick slices
- Cooking spray
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
- 1/2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 (7-ounce) bags baby spinach
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
- 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced plum tomato (about 1/2 pound)
- 1/2 (4-ounce) package crumbled feta cheese
- 1.5 ounces grated Asiago cheese, divided
- 1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 3/4 teaspoons dried oregano
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten (egg substitute is easier)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Place bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and mushrooms; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle flour over mushroom mixture; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add 1 bag of spinach; cook 3 minutes or until spinach wilts. Add remaining spinach; cook 3 minutes or until spinach wilts. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
lace half of bread slices in the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spread spinach mixture over bread. Top with tomato slices; sprinkle evenly with feta and half of Asiago cheese. Arrange remaining bread slices over cheese. Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, milk, and remaining ingredients, stirring well with a whisk. Pour over bread; sprinkle with remaining Asiago cheese. Cover and chill 8 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350°.
Uncover strata; bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until lightly browned and set. Serve warm.
