Spinach strata (OAMC)

One of my very favorite egg and cheese dishes is any type of Strata. This one is delicious, with the addition of (preferably fresh) spinach. Using ricotta cheese instead of milk makes a heavier dish, but it also cooks up a lot faster and doesn’t have to be refrigerated overnight before baking like some recipes call for.

This strata can be made ahead of time and re-heated, or served fresh. It makes a terrific OAMC recipe and freezes well. We had it fresh a couple of nights ago, and had lots of leftovers for these couple of days as I tried to clean out the fridge for our big trip to Italy.  It takes about an hour to make.

Spinach Strata

1/2 lb chopped spinach
Small onion, chopped
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
1/2 t basil

1 lb ricotta cheese
1 c sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
3 eggs
3 T flour
Nutmeg

Slices of bread, preferably whole wheat herb bread, enough to cover the bottom of a pie pan or small baking pan.

Sour cream, optional

Saute the spinach and onion in olive oil, seasoning with salt, pepper, and basil to taste. Mix it together with the cheeses through the nutmeg, and spread it over top of the bread slices in the baking pan. For an extra special strata, spread sour cream on top of the strata. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes.

To serve after freezing, let it thaw in the fridge overnight, and heat for 10 – 15 minutes at 375.

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