Recipe 46: Spinach, Artichoke, and Goat Cheese Strata

This recipe comes from the March 2011 Cooking Light.  I had my way with the recipe largely because I love spinach and because Cooking Light always seems to have odd sizes and weights not readily available in your local grocery store.  What up with that?  Additionally, spinach and artichokes are known to go together like peanut butter and jelly.  In a cheese loving world, of course.  I would say this recipe could be better - I think the baking time and my failure to pre-cook the spinach is the key.  I had to rush the baking time and spinach.  If you choose to follow this recipe, adhere to the baking time and don't crank it up to 450 to shorten it like I did!  As a side, this serves a lot more people, but ultimately I'd say 6 full sized servings is about right.  Ultimately, you do not need a Le Creuset Dutch oven for this recipe; a normal baking dish will suffice.  But whateverrrrrrrr.  It works!  Sorry for the quality of the picture; it's actually a very pretty dish.  Unfortunately, it was devoured before I had a chance to grab the camera.  Which, I supposed, speaks volumes about the devourability of this recipe.  Or just means my friends are starving heathens. 

Spinach, Artichoke & Goat Cheese Strata

(adapted from Cooking Light's March 2011 Recipe, Artichoke & Goat Cheese Strata)

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil

3/4 c shallots, minced (approximately 3 shallots)

1 10 oz drained can of artichoke hearts, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 tsp dried herbes de Provence

1 9 oz package of young spinach

1 3/4 cups 1% milk

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp salt

4 large eggs

1/3 cup grated Parmesan or Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 1 lb loaf of bread torn into small pieces (I used a country loaf from the grocery store, but feel free to get creative and use all kinds of fancy bread; I bet that would be tasty!)

cooking spray

4 oz goat cheese crumbled (one small tube)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375.  In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium high; add the shallots and cook for approximately two minutes, stirring throughout.
2. Add artichoke hearts and garlic and cook while stirring occasionally for approximately 8 minutes or until the artichokes begin to brown.  Once you notice browning, add the spinach and cook three more minutes until artichokes are browned and spinach is lightly wilted.
3. Remove skillet from heat and let cool ten minutes.
4. In a separate large bowl, mix together milk, pepper, salt, eggs.
5. Add parmesan and bread, tossing to mix and coat all pieces of bread.  Let mixture sit for 20 minutes.
6. Prepare your baking dish or Le Creuset with cooking spray.  Add one half of bread mixture, crumble half the goat cheese over this layer, and repeat with remaining half of bread mixture and goat cheese (cheese should be top layer).
7. Bake for 50 minutes at 375 or until the top is browned and bubbly.  
8. Enjoy!