I’ve been making a strata for brunch on Christmas morning for years. It is easy, delicious, and I appreciate that I can make it the night before and just bake it in the morning. We all love it and always wondered why we only made it over the holidays.  Now that we eat so little meat, I have been trying to incorporate more eggs into our diet for protein. When I saw this recipe, I liked that it didn’t have to sit overnight and adapted it to be like the one we have at Christmas. Now we have strata year round and love it!

10 ounces spinach (if frozen, thaw and squeeze out excess water)

6 slices white bread, crusts removed and cubed (I use Pepperidge Farm Hearty White)

3 eggs

1  1/2 cups milk

1  1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray an 8×8 pan with cooking spray. If using fresh spinach, cook in olive oil over medium-high heat until wilted. Transfer to a colander and press out as much liquid as possible. Layer bread cubes, then spinach and cheese, in pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour over bread and spinach (don’t worry if all the cheese ends up on top). Bake for 35 minutes. Serve immediately with homemade applesauce or a fruit salad. Makes 4 servings. Double and bake in a 9×13 pan to serve more.