Mediterranean Spinach Strata

Fresh tomatoes and spinach pair well with nutty Asiago and tangy feta cheese in this make-ahead dish that's great for lunch, brunch or dinner. Substitute Parmesan, Romano, or sharp provolone cheese for the Asiago, if you prefer. Presliced mushrooms and packaged spinach provide a head start. A single serving of this strata contains about a third of your daily calcium needs

Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients

• 2  (8-ounce) loaves French bread baguette, cut into 1-inch-thick slices
• Cooking spray
• 1  cup  chopped onion
• 4  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
• 1  tablespoon  all-purpose flour
• 2  (7-ounce) bags baby spinach
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt, divided
• 1/2  teaspoon  black pepper, divided
• 3  cups  thinly sliced plum tomato (about 1 pound)
• 1  (4-ounce) package crumbled feta cheese
• 3/4  cup  (3 ounces) grated Asiago cheese, divided
• 3  cups  fat-free milk
• 2  tablespoons  Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  dried oregano
• 5  large eggs, lightly beaten
• 4  large egg whites, lightly beaten

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Place bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and mushrooms; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle flour over mushroom mixture; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add 1 bag of spinach; cook 3 minutes or until spinach wilts. Add remaining spinach; cook 3 minutes or until spinach wilts. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Place half of bread slices in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spread spinach mixture over bread. Top with tomato slices; sprinkle evenly with feta and half of Asiago cheese. Arrange remaining bread slices over cheese. Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, milk, and remaining ingredients, stirring well with a whisk. Pour over bread; sprinkle with remaining Asiago cheese. Cover and chill 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Uncover strata; bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until lightly browned and set. Serve warm.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

297 (29% from fat)

Fat:

9.5g (sat 4.4g,mono 2.8g,poly 1g)

Protein:

17.9g

Carbohydrate:

36g

Fiber:

3.1g

Cholesterol:

125mg

Iron:

3.5mg

Sodium:

720mg

Calcium:

332mg