A Family that Eats Together: Spinach and Caramelized Onion and Strata with Tomato Relish

Marin Mommies presents this week's guest recipe from Nicole Cibellis, Marin mom and author of the blog A Family that Eats Together, where she shares meal plans and recipes that will please foodies and children alike. Nicole is also the creator of the new Little Froglet line of children's activewear.

Nicole's meal plan for this week features Italian sausage with peppers and polenta, shrimp tacos, tortellini salad with chicken and vegetables in a soy vinaigrette, slow-cooked chicken with herb biscuits, and this spinach and caramelized onion strata with tomato relish—perfect for a holiday brunch or breakfast.

Are you looking for a great recipe for a holiday breakfast? Do you have a holiday brunch party to bring food to? Well, here is your answer. It is not quiche and not a frittata. It’s strata. This easy to make strata will be the life of any brunch. The trick to making it fantastic is a complete caramelization of the onions. This is achieved by slow cooking them on medium-low heat. With the added crunch of the bread and addition of the Tomato Relish, this dish is a perfect savory dish for breakfast or brunch! Inspired by Bobby Flay.

Servings: 12
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients

Strata:

•  6 cups cubed day-old French or Italian bread, with crust
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 large Spanish onions, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• One 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 10 large eggs
• 2 cups grated aged gruyere cheese
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Sauteed cherry tomatoes:

• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 pints cherry tomatoes, quartered
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons finely sliced fresh chives, plus more for garnish

Directions

For the strata:

1. Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
2. Put the bread on a baking sheet and toast until lightly golden brown on both sides, about 10 minutes. Remove and let cool.
3. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
4. Combine the butter and oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat and cook until it begins to shimmer. Add the onions, toss to coat in the butter, and then add the sugar and season with salt and pepper. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and caramelized, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
5. In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes, onions and spinach. In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs, 1-1/2 cups cheese, milk, heavy cream, mustard, 1 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, thyme and nutmeg.
6. Butter a 9 by 13-inch decorative baking dish. Add the bread cubes to the baking dish, and then pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes and press down to make sure the bread is totally submerged.
7. Bake the strata uncovered until the mixture has puffed up slightly, is golden brown on top and doesn’t shimmy with uncooked custard when you shake the pan, about 1 hour. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheese over the top during the last 10 minutes of baking. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

For the tomatoes:

1. Heat oil in a large sauté pan over high heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and cook until the tomatoes softened. Add the chives and remove from the heat.
2. Serve large spoonfuls of the strata onto plates and top with sautéed tomatoes.