Mediterranean Spinach Strata
Yield: 10 servings
Substitute Parmesan, Romano, or sharp provolone cheese for the Asiago, if you prefer.
Ingredients:
- 2 (8-ounce) loaves French bread baguette, cut into 1-inch-thick slices
- Cooking spray
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 (7-ounce) bags baby spinach
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
- 3 cups thinly sliced plum tomato (about 1 pound)
- 1 (4-ounce) package crumbled feta cheese
- 3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated Asiago cheese, divided
- 3 cups fat-free milk
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 5 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 4 large egg whites, lightly beaten
Preheat oven to 350°. Place bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until lightly browned.
Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and mushrooms; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle flour over mushroom mixture; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add 1 bag of spinach; cook 3 minutes or until spinach wilts. Add remaining spinach; cook 3 minutes or until spinach wilts. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Place half of bread slices in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spread spinach mixture over bread. Top with tomato slices; sprinkle evenly with feta and half of Asiago cheese. Arrange remaining bread slices over cheese. Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, milk, and remaining ingredients, stirring well with a whisk.
Pour over bread; sprinkle with remaining Asiago cheese. Cover and chill 8 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350°. Uncover strata; bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until lightly browned and set. Serve warm.
CALORIES 297 (29% from fat)
FAT 9.5g (sat 4.4g,mono 2.8g,poly 1g)
PROTEIN 17.9g
CHOLESTEROL 125mg
CALCIUM 332mg
SODIUM 720mg
FIBER 3.1g
IRON 3.5mg
CARBOHYDRATE 36g
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About Billy Strynkowski
As Executive Chef for Cooking Light magazine, and resident "celebrity chef," Chef Billy Strynkowski has gained followers with his positive attitude, healthy and delicious recipes, and helpful cooking tips. His natural performance skills, engaging personality and well-rounded culinary experience have made him the unassuming culinary go-to guy for millions of Americans.
Chef Billy, as he is commonly known, is a regular guest on CNN and has appeared on dozens of other TV shows including ABC's The View and Good Morning America as the face of Cooking Light. When he's not developing recipes in the Cooking Light Test Kitchens, Chef Billy is traveling around the country hosting Supper Clubs and other Cooking Light events.
Since 2005, Cooking Light readers have enjoyed a monthly helping of Chef Billy with his column "Kitchen Tips with Chef Billy." Featured in the First Light section of the magazine, "Kitchen Tips" offers basic suggestions and facts every cook should know.
A member of the Cooking Light team since 2001, Chef Billy also supervises the Food Village at the U.S. Open Tennis Center every September, making certain his cooks serve high-quality food to over a half million tennis fans. Prior to joining Cooking Light, he was the Executive Chef for Restaurant Associates at the Time Inc. headquarters in New York.
Chef Billy is a culinary graduate of Johnson and Wales University in Providence, R.I. A resident of New Jersey, Billy spends his spare time cooking for friends.
Cooking Light is the nation's largest food and healthy lifestyle title.
