Active time: 20 minutes Total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes, plus chilling overnight
Overnight strata is the perfect weekend brunch: Make it the night before, pop it in the oven the next morning, and sit back and enjoy. We use frozen spinach and asparagus here, but feel free to add veggies to the sauté — fresh baby kale, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes — whatever is in your vegetable keeper.
This is a great option for a healthy brunch dish because it combines a serving of vegetables with the filling elements of fiber and protein.
Overnight Spring Vegetable Strata
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 10 ounces (284g) frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 8 ounces (227g) asparagus, tough ends snapped off and discarded
- 3 cups (170g) cubed, crusty whole-wheat bread
- 3 large eggs
- 3 egg whites
- 1 1/2 cups (354ml) 2% milk
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill or chives (or substitute 1 1/4 teaspoons dried dill)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup (28g) shredded Parmesan cheese
Directions
The night before baking, prepare the strata. Coat an 8-inch (20cm) square baking dish with cooking spray, and arrange the bread in an even layer in the baking dish; set aside.
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to brown, 6 minutes. Add the spinach and asparagus, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally until the asparagus is bright green and crisp-tender, 3 minutes. Pour the vegetable mixture over the bread in the prepared baking dish, arranging the asparagus in a neat row.
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, egg whites, milk and herbs together. Pour over the bread cube mixture in the pan. Press down with a spatula to ensure the bread begins to drink in the custard. Sprinkle with the cheese. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
The next morning, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Uncover the strata and bake until a knife inserted in the center of the strata comes out without liquid egg clinging to it, 45–50 minutes. Cut into 6 slices and serve immediately.
Serves: 6 | Serving Size: 1/6 of strata
Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 274; Total Fat: 10g; Saturated Fat: 3g; Monounsaturated Fat: 4g; Cholesterol: 101mg; Sodium: 654mg; Carbohydrate: 23g; Dietary Fiber: 3g; Sugar: 6g; Protein: 25g
