Brunch just got a whole lot easier with this tasty, make-ahead bacon, Gruyere and spinach strata. Crusty French bread soaks up a velvety egg custard filled with tender spinach, melted Gruyere and smoky bacon for a guaranteed crowd-pleasing meal. This strata will quickly become your new go-to brunch recipe.

A pan of cooked bacon, Gruyere and spinach strata on a napkin.

What Is Strata?

I love all kinds of brunch dishes, but strata just might be my favorite, especially if I'm playing hostess. If you've been following along, you already know how much I love make-ahead dishes when I'm entertaining, which is the essence of strata. We take care of business upfront, so when brunch time arrives, we're free to leisurely sip mimosas with good company by our side.

To make strata, we pour a mixture of eggs, heavy cream and whole milk over torn pieces of bread and the fillings of our choosing. I chose bacon, Gruyere and spinach for this particular recipe, but you can always tweak those add-ins to your liking.

We then let the strata sit in the refrigerator for several hours or up to overnight to let the egg custard soak into the bread. Once the strata bakes, it resembles a mix between a savory bread pudding and baked egg casserole -- eggier than a bread pudding but more custardy than a baked egg casserole. As far as I'm concerned, strata is the ultimate love child between the two.

Given the make-ahead convenience of this strata, it's also perfect for the holidays. I love cooking during the holidays, but when Christmas morning arrives, I don't want to fuss around the kitchen too much. That time is reserved for mimosas and watching Christmas movies, so this isn't the time to make a big, elaborate brunch spread. Once again, strata saves the day.

A closeup of a piece of bacon, Gruyere and spinach strata on a white plate.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Now that we're familiar with strata, let's get started. We begin by cooking a pound of bacon until it's perfectly crispy. I like doing this in the oven, but if you prefer the stove-top, that's just fine. You do you.

Next, we drain a package of thawed spinach, cook some chopped onions and garlic, and mix them all together with the bacon. Let's set that aside and grate some Gruyere and fresh Parmesan.

We definitely want to use freshly grated Parmesan cheese as opposed to anything that's packaged or comes in a bottle. If the Parmesan isn't freshly grated, it won't melt properly. We'll be left with a grainy texture, so let's not ruin our strata with grainy cheese.

With our add-ins prepped, we start tearing our bread. For this particular recipe, I like to use French bread, but I've also made strata with English muffins and croissants, so just know that you can get creative if you're inclined.

We need eight cups of bread, which is a lot, so I recommend getting two huge loaves. I'm talking about the kind of French bread that's fat and puffy in the middle rather than the long, skinny loaves.

Now we whisk our eggs and add heavy cream, milk, salt, pepper, Dijon mustard and a touch of nutmeg until it becomes one cohesive mixture like so.

Whisking the eggs, heavy cream and milk.

And just like that, we're ready to assemble our strata. To do this, we layer a third of the bread, the onion mixture, cheeses and repeat two more times. We pour the egg mixture all over our layered strata, cover and refrigerate.

Pouring the egg mixture over bacon, Gruyere and spinach strata in a white pan.

Before baking, make sure you take out the strata about 30 minutes to an hour before cooking. If you remember from science class, putting a cold dish into a hot oven can cause it to break. I'm sure you don't want to deal with that mess, so we're better off avoiding it. Plus, this step makes for more even cooking.

We bake this bacon, Gruyere and spinach strata for a little over an hour and then let it sit for about 10 minutes after it comes out of the oven to set.

I know. This part is hard. You have this delicious strata fresh out of the oven but you have to wait? If I can find the patience to give this strata some setting time, I have no doubt you can find it within yourself as well.

OK, now our custard is set, and we can dig in. Wasn't it worth the wait?

I already know the answer to that — absolutely. Serve this strata with some savory muffins or homemade drop biscuits, and you're in for one delicious brunch.

Serving the bacon, Gruyere and spinach strata out of the white pan.

A look at the cut bacon, Gruyere and spinach strata to see the layers.

How Long Will Strata Last in the Fridge?

If you're serving a small crowd, a full pan of strata is a lot but good news! Strata keeps well in the refrigerator for about three to four days so get ready for some delicious leftovers. Lucky you.

Perfect Pairing

Considering that this strata is the ultimate brunch food, your classic breakfast cocktails, like mimosas and bloody marys, aren't a bad idea. But if you're looking to go a little deeper with your pairing, I love a beer with a strong malt backbone, like a doppelbock, with this strata. That nutty Gruyere is a beautiful partner for those caramel-like malt notes that come with doppelbocks.

If you're in the mood for straight wine, you could turn your mimosa into a simple glass of Champagne. With the custardy base, bacon and Gruyere, those effervescent bubbles will cut through all the fat and leave your palate feeling refreshed. A chardonnay is also a scrumptious option and great match with Gruyere.

The next time you find yourself hosting brunch, I hope you give this bacon, Gruyere and spinach strata a try.

Cheers!

A front view of a piece of bacon, Gruyere and spinach strata with the pan in the background.

An aerial view of the bacon, Gruyere and spinach strata on a small plate with spinach.

Love Brunch?

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