Spanakopita Strata
Breakfast takes a Mediterranean holiday.
This recipe is similar in many ways to my croissant breakfast bundt, but the fresh flavours of the Mediterranean make it a stand-out that deserves its own recipe. Frozen spinach also makes prep faster, but you can easily use fresh spinach and simply chop and steam. Fresh dill is a must though, so don’t substitute dry— it just doesn’t pack the same punch.
As with any strata, you can prep this the night before, but it still bakes great made the day of with a little bit of lead time. Serve with fresh fruit and a nice breakfast sausage to round the meal out, and don’t forget the espresso and mimosas.—CFG
Ingredients:
3-4 large croissants
8 eggs
2 cups milk
½ tsp salt plus more to taste
¼ tsp black pepper plus more to taste
1/2 small onion -OR- 1 shallot, minced
2 tbsp olive oil or butter divided
1 pkg frozen chopped spinach thawed and drained of excess water
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup crumbled feta
1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped
Directions:
Cut 3-4 large croissants into 1” pieces and lightly toast in a pan just until golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine 8 eggs, 2 cups of milk, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2tsp of pepper. Whisk together until throughly incorporated and set aside.
Shred 1 cup of mozzarella and prepare 1 cup of crumbled feta cheese. Set aside.
Heat 1tbsp of olive oil or butter in a pan over medium heat and sauté minced onion/shallot until softened but not browned. Add 1pkg of drained chopped spinach and a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside to cool slightly.
Grease a 9”x9” casserole dish and place the toasted croissants in the bottom of pan. Add half of spinach mixture, and sprinkle half of the cheeses on top, then add half the egg mixture on top. Repeat the process with remaining half ingredients and layer croissant pieces, spinach, cheeses, and egg mixture.
With a fork, gently press on the mixture to make sure everything is moistened.
Cover and chill for at least 30min. (You can even set overnight.)
Remove from the fridge when you’re read to bake and let sit at room temp for ~15- 30 minutes before baking.
Preheat oven to 350°.
Bake the strata covered for ~30min, then remove lid/foil and bake another 20-30min or until the centre is firm when shaken.
Remove from oven at let rest for ~5 min.
Serve and enjoy.
