Broccoli and Cheese Strata
Do not use regular whole-wheat sandwich bread in this recipe or the strata will lack flavor and be mushy. You may substitute a whole-wheat French baguette with the crust removed for the whole-grain artisan bread.
Serves: 6Hands-on: 15 minutesTotal: 2 hours 15 minutesDifficulty: Easy
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 3 large shallots, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 10 oz. frozen broccoli, thawed and chopped
- 6 large egg whites
- 3 large egg yolks
- ¾ cup fat-free milk
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. pepper
- 4 cups lightly toasted whole-grain artisan bread, cubed
- ½ cup reduced-fat shredded Cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
- Spray a medium baking dish with nonstick spray. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and sauté the shallot until it is translucent and softened, 7–10 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until it just starts to turn golden, about 1 minute.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the broccoli. Allow the mixture to cool completely before proceeding with the next step.
- Whisk together the egg whites, egg yolks, milk, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in the bread cubes, Cheddar and Parmesan cheeses, and cooled broccoli. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish and cover tightly with plastic wrap.
- Place a heavy weight on top of the strata so that the custard mixture can soak into the bread. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- When ready to bake the strata, preheat the oven to 325°F. Place the strata on the middle rack and bake until the center is set and cooked through, about 1 hour.