In my case, the need to use an entire tub of Trader Joes Spinach dip arose.
Strata was made for this.
Strata is the Italian iteration of a savory bread pudding.
Have a dried up baguette you didnt get to?
Four leftover meatballs from dinner on Friday?
Half a container of sage thats suffering in a drawer?
As long as you keep the accessories savory, you wont be disappointed.
The dry bread is designed to be the soaker, because its lacking moisture of its own.
The bread will be able to pull in the maximum amount of egg custard, the soakee.
(These are definitely technical terms that I didnt make up.)
If youre using fresh bread for this purpose, youll want tothrow it in the ovento dry it out.
Putting together the strata is surprisingly simple.
when you’ve got the dry bread cubed and set aside, prepare the custard filling.
It will look like an intimidatingly large scrambled egg bath with a load of ingredients.
Dump in the cubed bread.
After a few turns, the bread cubes should all be well coated in custard.
When youre ready, bake the strata for about 30 minutes.
(Use any shape of oven safe cookware.
Thoroughly whisk the first three ingredients together, then whisk in the next three ingredients.
Switch to a rubber spatula and mix in the chopped spinach.
Add the dry bread, stir and coat the cubes in the egg mixture.
Pour the strata mixture into the prepared baking dish.
Cover securely, and let it soak in the fridge for 45 minutes, or up to 24 hours.
Sprinkle the cheese on top before baking.
Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes depending on the size of the baking dish.
The strata is done with the edges are puffed and the center is set with no liquidy spots.
Enjoy hot, or cool completely and store, covered, in the fridge for up to five days.
Reheat slices in the microwave for 30 seconds.
This recipe makes eight servings.
