Slow Cooker Week, Day 5

I'd never had a strata before. Doesn't it sound so fancy?

Well, I'm getting all fancy on y'all and I done made myself a strata!

Make this. And then when anyone asks what it is, make sure you answer so nonchalantly...or you could totally act like it's so difficult and reply with a deep sigh like you are so exhausted.

Little do they have to know that you made it in the slow cooker! Your secret is safe with me.

A strata is a bread, cheese and, in this case, veggie, compilation held together with eggs. A perfect addition to your weekend brunch, a bridal/baby shower or Christmas morning.





Spinach Breakfast Strata

Adapted from Slow Cooker Revolution

Serves 10+ as a side, 8-10 as a main dish

Prep Time: 1 hr, including drying out bread

 

Ingredients:

1 loaf supermarket French bread, cut into 1/2 in. pieces  (12 cups)

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed

1 1/2 c. shredded Gruyere cheese (6 oz.)

2 1/2 c. half and half

9 large eggs

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

 

Directions:

First, spread cut bread over rimmed baking sheet and bake until dry, about 40 minutes.

 

Heat oil in a skillet until hot. Add onion, garlic and thyme and cook until onions are soft, about 10 minutes. Stir in spinach.

 

Spread half of dried bread into slow cooker and sprinkle with half onion mixture and 1/2 c. gruyere cheese. Layer remaining dried bread, onion mixture and cheese. Whisk half and half, eggs, salt and pepper together in bowl, then pour mixture evenly over bread. Press gently on bread to submerge. Cover and cook 4 hours on low, until the strata is set.

 

Let strata cool for 20 minutes. If you would like to serve from a platter and not the slow cooker, you can line the slow cooker with either a crock pot liner or foil to make it easy to lift out with spatulas.

 

Enjoy!

Laura