I thought this would be a great recipe for a weekend breakfast/brunch or to share with family this coming Easter! Lots of cheese, eggs and spinach, this is a hearty dish to start the day.
My Italian Sausage, Gouda and Spinach Strata is one to plan ahead and prepare the night before. It’s worth it and really not that much effort is involved. Check out my new video to see how easy it is to make this. 🙂
For those who don’t know what a strata is in cooking, here is a quick explanation: It is made with layers of different ingredients placed over a base of day old bread and freshly grated cheese, covered with a mixture of eggs and milk, and then baked.
This is extremely filling and can easily feed six people. The egg soaked sourdough bread adds such a nice tangy flavor to the rich Gouda cheese and spinach.
Lately I have been making this using chopped sourdough and mixing all the ingredients in a bowl before putting in the baking dish instead of the layering.
Just look at that crunchy, cheesy deliciousness right there. Eggs, spinach, bread and sausage mixed and cheesy!
I like how all the edges get crispy and crunchy while still encasing the cheesy goodness inside. I also had some Compound Herb Butter and melted that to toss with the chopped sourdough bread to add a little extra something.
Keep things easy and really mixed! Feel free to use 12 oz of Jimmy Dean Sausage or Italian Sausage. While the Jimmy Dean gives a sweeter flavor the spicy Italian sausage works fantastic here as well.
If you need other breakfast ideas, try my Crustless Spinach Quiche with Ham, Pesto Prosciutto Dutch Baby, or these Savory Egg Clouds.
This Italian Sausage, Gouda and Spinach Strata is always a house favorite to serve when we have out of town guests. It hits all the marks for a hearty and filling breakfast all in one pan!
Eggs, bread, veggies and sausage. Oh and cheese, wonderful, gooey and melted Gouda cheese and that touch of nutmeg takes to the top. Enjoy!
This recipe first appeared on Kevin Is Cooking last March 2016 and has been updated with a new video.
- 4 Italian hot sausages removed from casings OR Jimmy Dean sausage
- 6-8 slices of sourdough bread or 4 sourdough sandwich rolls chopped
- 4 tbsp butter optional
- 1 lb of fresh spinach or 10 oz fresh frozen, thawed and drained
- 1/2 lb freshly grated Gouda cheese
- 8 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups of milk or half and half
- 1/4 tsp salt
- ground pepper to taste
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg optional
- In a skillet brown sausage and break up any lumps, drain and set aside.
You can either layer this recipe (directions follow or mix the chopped bread, cooked sausage, spinach and cheese all up in a bowl and then add to buttered pan. This cuts out the layering and extra butter.
- Coat a 9”x9” baking dish with some butter and with the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter spread it over the bread slices. Place 3 slices butter side up in baking dish, squeeze to fit.
- Layer half the spinach, then cheese, then sausage over bread. Place remaining bread slices on top, butter side down this time and top with the remaining spinach, cheese and sausage.
In a mixing bowl whisk the eggs, milk, and spices until blended. Pour this mixture over the layered strata pan slowly to absorb completely.
OR IF NOT LAYERING pour the egg mixture over the chopped bread, cooked sausage, spinach and cheese in a bowl. Mix thoroughly and place in prepared baking dish.
- Cover the pan with foil and place in the refrigerator overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Bake the strata uncovered for 1 hour or until it has risen and is a golden brown. Let cool enough to slice and enjoy.
You can either layer the bread, spinach, cheese and sausage and pour egg mixture over all in pan OR in a bowl add chopped bread pieces, spinach, cheese and sausage. Pour egg mixture over all, mix and then add to buttered pan. This cuts out the layering and extra butter.
have you made ahead and frozen it
No I have not Pat, but would be interested to hear how it goes if you do. I wouldn’t bake it first and freeze, but having it prepped up to the baking point and freezing is what I would do to test first. Let me know!
Absolutely stunning, Kevin! And perfect for Easter – not only is it easy to put together and full of fantastic ingredients, but it gets assembled the night before. Stellar job on the video too!
Thank you so much Marissa! It is a go to for out of town guests here at Chez Aladin. 😉
It looks I missed this recipe last year which is surprising. How could I?:) So I’m glad you’ve been updating some of them so I can catch up. I’ve never tried a strata, but it always sounded delicious to me. No wonder – sausage, spinach, cheese….I need it in my life:)
Thanks Ben! I think it’s good to bring a few back up to speed for those who might have missed them with new photos and video!
I love these kind of dishes Kevin! Always loaded with great ingredients and always so tasty! Love everything in this one, especially that hot italian sausage!
Thanks MaryAnn, I always love a little kick in this! 🙂
Kevin this is literally breakfast-porn, it should be illegal, at least until I’ve had my first cup of coffee. Your photos are killing me!!
I like you’re thinking Sue and thanks so much for the kind words here. Have a great day! 🙂
I love breakfast recipes like this and what a beauty, Kevin! Sounds delicious too and as always, fab photos and your videos are killing it. 🙂
Thanks Sally, appreciate the kind words. I love this one, too. Great after taking the boys for a mountain hike! Just pop it in the oven and deliciousness awaits. 🙂
I feel dense here, but why do you have as the first instruction to heat the oven to 350, when you then say to refrigerate it overnight? Am I missing something???
Not at all, thanks Roger. I updated the recipe instructions. Thanks for trying this and reminding me, I need to make this again. Let me know what you think.
I’d eat this any time of the day and I think I prefer your method of mixing everything together, rather than the layering. I’ve actually never heard of Jimmy Dean sausage, so Italian style sounds fine to me!
Sorry for the late reply here John as I’ve been gone the last 2 weeks in India, but am back sifting emails, checking out everyones posts I missed and replying here. Thanks sometimes forget that not every American product is available elsewhere, but the Italian sausage make this a little more on the savory side than sweet. Looking forward to checking out your site, although I have followed somewhat via Instagram whenever WiFi was available. Cheers!
This sounds great, my kind of breakfast or brunch.
Thanks Cathy!
Hey Kevin! This my kind of breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner!! The combination of flavors hits all the right notes! Can’t wait to hear about your trip and all the delicious food you guys are enjoying!
Hi Dorothy, this is such a great one for whenever we have house guests. And I like your thinking of having it for dinner… now I can use that as a reason to make it more often! India adventure and food stories will be coming soon after I catch up with everything. Thanks again. 🙂
This strada sounds (and looks) insanely delicious, Kevin! I think I might have to fight you over those crispy edges, though. 🙂 How can you go wrong with spicy Italian sausage and gouda? I hope you guys are enjoying your travels right now…I can’t wait to here your stories when you get back Stateside.
Thanks Dave. I love how the egg and bread almost make a custard like texture on the inside with all the cheesy, crunchy edges. #GoGouda!
Great recipe! The strata was fluffy and flavorful. We used a chicken sausage. The gouda was just the right cheese to accompany the spinach! Thanks!
Thanks Greg, look forward to meeting you one of these days. Kenny is my near and dear to me. Glad you guys are having a fun time of it up there!
Oh, this was so delicious! I ended up using a 9 x 14 pan instead of pressing it down, and it came out great. Next time, I might add some Ortega chiles just to experiment. It couldn’t be simpler to make. If you’re having weekend guests, this is a great recipe to prepare a wonderful breakfast to serve fresh out of the oven the first day, and heat up left-overs for the second day, so you have more quality time to enjoy your friends.
So glad you liked the recipe and for visiting the site. This recipe definitely fills you up to go out and enjoy those friends and family like you mentioned. I think instead of the spicy sausage, your idea of ortega chilis and maybe ground turkey or beef would be great, too!