By: Lauren Stobbie
We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and casseroles just happen to be one of my favorite holiday breakfast dishes! I usually only have them around the holidays so it’s always something that I look forward to. There is just something special about waking up to a warm casserole filled with bacon, eggs, and cheese. This recipe is jam-packed with nutritious ingredients and has about half the calories of your traditional bread casserole. It has a creamy texture inside with crispy bread pieces on top. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 4 center-cut bacon slices
- 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (about 1 medium onion)
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 6 ounces fresh spinach, chopped
- 6 ounces crusty whole-grain bread, cut into 1-in. cubes
- 3 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded (3/4 cup)
- 3/4 cup 1% low-fat milk
- 3/4 cup plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt
- 4 large eggs
- 2 large egg whites
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions:
- Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium until crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving 1 1/2 tablespoons drippings in skillet; discard any remaining drippings. Finely chop bacon; set aside.
- Add onion and garlic to drippings in skillet over medium-high heat; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is browned and tender, about 10 minutes. Add spinach; cook until spinach wilts, about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Toss together chopped bacon, onion mixture, bread cubes, and cheese in a large bowl. Arrange mixture evenly in an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray.
- Combine milk, yogurt, eggs, egg whites, mustard, pepper, and salt in a large bowl; stir with a whisk until well combined. Pour evenly over bread mixture. Cover and chill 8 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Uncover baking dish; let casserole stand at room temperature as oven preheats. Bake in preheated oven until top of casserole is browned and a knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour.
Source: http://www.cookinglight.com/recipes/spinach-bacon-gruyere-breakfast-strata