• >
  • Recipes
  • >
  • Caramelized Onion, Spinach and Gruyere Cheese Strata with Sauteed Cherry Tomatoes

Caramelized Onion, Spinach and Gruyere Cheese Strata with Sauteed Cherry Tomatoes

Photo: Caramelized Onion, Spinach and Gruyere Cheese Strata with Sauteed Cherry Tomatoes

TOTAL TIME: 1 hr 25 min
Prep: 20 min
Inactive Prep: 5 min
Cook: 1 hr
 
YIELD: 8 servings
LEVEL: Easy

ingredients

STRATA:
  • 6 cups cubed day-old French bread, with crust
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 2 large Spanish onions, halved and thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • One 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
  • 10 large eggs
  • 2 cups grated aged gruyere cheese
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
    SAUTEED CHERRY TOMATOES:
    • 3 tablespoons canola oil
    • 2 pints cherry tomatoes, quartered
    • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
    • 3 tablespoons finely sliced fresh chives, plus more for garnish
    recipe tools

      • COMMENT ON THIS PROJECT

          

      Sign in

      All fields are required.

      E-mail Address:

      Password:

      Remember me on this computer

      Signing in

      Please enter your email address and we will send your password

      E-mail Address

      Your password has been sent and should arrive in your mailbox very soon.

      Not a member?

      Sign up for My Cooking Channel to share photos, show off your style, and connect to an enthusiastic and helpful community.

      It's free and easy.

    • Print Recipe

    Directions

    For the strata: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

    Put the bread on a baking sheet and toast until lightly golden brown on both sides, about 10 minutes. Remove and let cool.

    Combine the butter and oil in a large saute pan over medium heat and cook until it begins to shimmer. Add the onions, toss to coat in the butter, and then add the sugar and season with salt and pepper. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and caramelized, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

    In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes, onions and spinach. In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs, 1 1/2 cups cheese, milk, heavy cream, mustard, 1 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, thyme and nutmeg.

    Butter a 9 by 13-inch decorative baking dish. Add the bread cubes to the baking dish, and then pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes and press down to make sure the bread is totally submerged.

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

    Bake the strata uncovered until the mixture has puffed up slightly, is golden brown on top and doesn't shimmy with uncooked custard when you shake the pan, about 1 hour. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheese over the top during the last 10 minutes of baking. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

    For the tomatoes: Heat oil in a large saute pan over high heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and cook until the tomatoes softened. Add the chives and remove from the heat.

    Serve large spoonfuls of the strata onto plates and top with sauteed tomatoes.

    COMMENT ON THIS PROJECT

        

    Sign in

    All fields are required.

    E-mail Address:

    Password:

    Remember me on this computer

    Signing in

    Please enter your email address and we will send your password

    E-mail Address

    Your password has been sent and should arrive in your mailbox very soon.

    Not a member?

    Sign up for My Cooking Channel to share photos, show off your style, and connect to an enthusiastic and helpful community.

    It's free and easy.

    Review This Recipe

    You must be logged in to review this recipe.

    or Sign Up to Review

    4

    Newest Ratings and Reviews

    Read all 4 reviews

    • on March 30, 2013

      Flag

      Very good recipe. I wasn't thrilled with the spinach, but it was still good. (it better be with good friends that don't mind seeing each other with spinach in their teeth Quick tips. Toss cherry tomatoes with a little olive oil, salt and pepper put on a baking sheet and put in the oven with the strata for the last 1/2 hour or just until they burst. For the strata, I mix everything in a large bowl, let it sit for 5 minutes or so, and then pour into the baking dish. Also, your best test for doneness of a frittata, bread pudding, or strata is to watch for an even puff or dome over the whole dish. If the middle is flat or a little sunken, it isn't done. Saving a little grated cheese to put on top when serving isn't a bad idea either. Like Ps, I prefer a frittata or a Spanish strata with sausage and roasted peppers. It's all good.

      people found this review Helpful.
      Was this review helpful to you? Yes | No

    • on March 10, 2013

      Flag

      Good - I also used fresh spinach - the tomatoes are a must - but this recipe isn't as good as his frittata topped with ricotta. That one is a keeper.

      people found this review Helpful.
      Was this review helpful to you? Yes | No

    • on January 01, 2012

      Flag

      Came out amazing. Got big and fluffy puffy.

      Best tip:
      Rather than gruyere i had a brick of Dubliner ($6 at Costco for a huge block, kinda a mix of cheddar/Parm. Great cheese for the price and will be my Go To for egg casserole now.

      Full disclosure
      i didn't have frozen spinach and used two handfuls of fresh spinach chopped. I sauteed the onions in an iron skillet and when I turned off the heat i threw the spinach on top of the onions (and I had added garlic and covered with a lid to wilt while i did the eggs etc...

      didnt toast bread, used stale thin slice french bread
      i used a small carton of whipping cream
      the recipe leaves out the step where you combine the onion and egg, so i stirred it into the pan after soaking the bread.

      didn't have tomatoes, used Chalula hot sauce, not that it really need it. ...sausage next time or a bacon crumble on top




      people found this review Helpful.
      Was this review helpful to you? Yes | No
    Advertisement

    On TV

    *ALL TIMES EASTERN
    ON AIR
    NOW
    TONIGHT
    10:00
    PM

    what's hot

    Road Trip with G. Garvin
    Road Trip with G. Garvin Host: G. Garvin

    Get Cooking Channel on your TV.

    Learn How