Wild Mushroom and Leek Strata

Sometimes friends ask if my family sits down to big elaborate dinners everyday given that I have this food blog.  (Oh how I wish!)  While we at least sit down and share an evening meal together almost everyday, on most days our dinners are fairly simple.  Preserving our family dinner time in the evenings has become increasingly more of a challenge as the kids have gotten older, but I’m trying to hold on to it for as long as I can.  On some days dinner is a quick stir-fry, other days it’s soup in the crock pot, and I readily admit that I rely on freezer meals at least a couple times a week.  As much as I love to cook, it’s hard to find time to cook everyday.  Because the after-school hours are crazy filled with activities, it’s important to have a plan for dinner before the kids arrive home from school.  Make-ahead casseroles are great for those days when the schedule is fully packed and yet you still want to still down to a fresh baked dinner.  I love stratas for this reason.

Since the bread needs to sit overnight to soak up the eggs and milk, early preparation is essential.  After it’s baked, the strata develops a soft custard-like consistency while the bread that peeks through the top becomes toasty and crusty.  There are so many variations of stratas out there; this one has layers of soaked whole grain bread, sautéed mushrooms, leeks, and spinach, and melted fontina.  I made this after the kids went to bed one night while Ryan was at tennis and I had a whole quiet kitchen to myself.  Ryan often wonders how I find the energy to cook at night, but I find it a peaceful and meditative way to end the day.  It’s also a great feeling to wake up the next morning and know that dinner is already taken care of.  This strata is substantial enough for dinner, but it would also be a wonderful brunch dish.  We all enjoyed this vegetarian version although Ryan says it would be even better with bacon.  I’ll let you choose for yourself.

Wild Mushroom and Leek Strata

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons ghee or unsalted butter
• 1 pound wild mushrooms (I used a mixture of shiitake and cremini), sliced or torn into small pieces
• 2 leeks, chopped, white and light green parts only
• 4 ounces baby spinach
• 5 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 pound whole grain bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 8 ounces fontina cheese, grated (taleggio or goat cheese would also be good)

Instructions

1. In a large skillet, melt one tablespoon of ghee over medium heat. Saute mushrooms until they release their liquid and continue to cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
2. In the same skillet, melt another tablespoon of ghee and sauté the leeks until they soften and start to turn golden, about 4-5 minutes. Add spinach and cook until spinach is just wilted, another 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl with the mushrooms and stir to combine.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, wine, parmesan, mustard, salt, and pepper. Gently fold in the bread cubes. Wait for a few minutes and gently fold again to ensure evening soaking. Bread should soften and begin to fall apart.
4. Coat an 8×8 baking dish or a 10-inch cast iron pan with 1 tablespoon ghee. Arrange half of the soaked bread on the bottom of the pan. Layer with half the mushroom mixture and then half of the fontina. Repeat layers. Cover and refrigerate strata overnight.
5. Remove strata from refrigerator about an hour before baking. Preheat the oven to 350. Bake strata uncovered for 50-60 minutes. Allow strata to sit 10-15 minutes before serving.