Breakfast Strata Lorraine

It is not the usual place to get recipes, but I seem to like to find them in extraordinary places.  This time, rather than the Wall Street Journal, I used the Williams-Sonoma Catalog for this recipe.  Breakfast Strata Lorraine.

I tore it out of the catalog at Easter and finally took the time to make it for Kathy Dunlavy and Ginny Marti.  The ingredients are a little more expensive.  Gruyere cheese is not cheap, and I had never heard of batard bread.  The man at the store said it is bastard bread, 1/2 the size of a French loaf.  Don't know if that is really why it is called that, but . . . And the recipe takes a little more time, but it is not hard to make.  It will be included in our next tailgate breakfast, for sure!  And in case you are curious, here is the recipe:

2 T. olive oil
1 sliced yellow onion
Salt to taste + 1 t.
Ground pepper to taste
1 lb. spinach
1.5 pound loaf sweet batard bread (the recipe says with crusts removed, but I left them on), cut into 1"        squares and toasted until dry (I did not use that much bread . . . )
8 oz. diced ham
6 oz. Gruyere cheese, grated
10 eggs
2.5 c. half-and-half (because I did not want extra half and half left, I added milk to make the extra 1/2 c.)

1.  In large saute pan over medium heat, warm 1 T. oil.  Add onion; season with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, about 15 minutes.  Transfer to a bowl.  In the same pan using medium heat, warm 1/2 t. oil.  Add half of the spinach; season with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring until wilted, 2-3 minutes.  Transfer to colander.  Repeat with the other 1/2 t. oil and remaining spinach.  Press out moisture.

2.  In large bowl, toss together bread cubes, onion, spinach, ham and cheese.  Transfer to 4-qt baking dish.  In bowl, beat together eggs, half-and-half, 1 t. salt and pepper, to taste.  Pour over bread mixture. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate 2 - 16 hours.

3.  Preheat over to 350 F.  Remove plastic wrap; cover with lid or foil.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Uncover; bake until top is browned and strata is cooked through, 40 - 50 minutes.

Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!