Gruyere, Ham and Spinach Strata

When I come across recipes such as this one I almost always make a copy of it. For several reasons, the simplicity of it, it sounds delicious but aside from that I am always looking for a simple recipe to serve say for instance a ladies brunch or a light dinner for myself and my husband. Now my husband, as I often refer to him as "Mr. Picky Eater" but strangely enough he is getting better about that. More about that later.

I thought this was a beautiful presentation, it smelled heavenly and quite honestly, DIVINE!!!!!

"Gruyere, Ham and Spinach Strata"

10 ounce frozen chopped Spinach, thawed
1 1/2 cup onion, chopped
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound Black Forest Ham, cut in 1 inch cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
8 cups French bread, cut in 1 inch cubes
2 cups Gruyere, grated
1 cup Parmigiona-Reggiano, finely grated
2 3/4 cup milk
9 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Drain the thawed spinach, using your hands to squeeze as much water from it as possible. Set it to the side.

In a large skillet heat the butter and onions and sauté' until onions soften. Place the spinach in the pan and add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Combine the mixture and remove from the heat.

Mix the two cheeses together in a bowl.

Grease a 3 quart gratin dish with softened butter and spread one third of the bread across the bottom of the dish. Next add a layer of spinach using 1/3 of the spinach mixture. Layer 1/3 of the ham on top of the spinach, sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese over the ham and repeat the layering two more times.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, mustard, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the strata then cover it with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake uncovered for 45 to 55 minutes or until puffed, golden brown, and cooked through. Let stand for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
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I served this for a light dinner for the two of us and thought it was amazingly good. It had everything one would need from each food group so I simply added some sliced tomatoes to round out our dinner.

Right now we are seeing some really beautiful and tasty tomatoes in our area and I thought this made an excellent dinner for the two of us. Pared with a good white wine also goes without saying. It would also be a perfect brunch or luncheon dish as well.

Getting back to my "Mr Picky Eater", he has decided that since he knows that I love trying new recipes all the time that he will either eat it or go hungry. Actually, I was shocked to hear him say the words. Soooooooo, who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks.

I hope you try this scrumptious dish and enjoy it as much as I did. I will be sharing my post at Foodie Friday hosted by Michael Lee at Rattlebridge Farm. You can click HERE to see other wonderful recipes shared.