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.
Italian Sausage, Gouda and Spinach Strata
Ingredients
- 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
Instructions
- 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.
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!