Make a Stellar Breakfast With a Cup of Trader Joe’s Dip
Whether you’re gearing up for a busy week or throwing a weekend brunch, a pre-cooked egg casserole can save you time. Not only do breakfast layers allow you to take more time for yourself, but they are also exceptionally flexible in their flavor options, so you can do a holistic cleansing of the fridge if the need arises. In my case, it became necessary to use a whole bath of Trader Joe’s Spinach Sauce. This is fine. Strata was created for this.
Strata is the Italian version of a savory bread pudding. Like many of the classic dishes we love today, this is a creative way to cut down on waste so you can use scrap, leftovers, and ingredients that will soon run out. Do you have a dried baguette that you didn’t get to? Drop it! The four leftover meatballs from Friday’s dinner? Chop them! Half a container of sage that’s suffering in a drawer? All are invited! As long as you keep the sexy accessories, you won’t be disappointed.
Any bread pudding, sweet or savory, is basically made up of two parts: bread and custard. Dry bread is meant to be soaked because it lacks its own moisture. The bread will be able to draw in the maximum amount of egg custard being soaked. (These are definitely technical terms that I didn’t make up.) If you’re using fresh bread for this purpose, you’ll need to toss it in the oven to dry out. Bread can be just about anything you have (sourdough, croissants, torn bagels), and custard also offers wiggle room. It usually consists of eggs and milk, but you can change the base to add flavor, say with a jar of dipping sauce. a small amount of milk will loosen it enough to replace dairy in custard. Instead of using large amounts of relatively soft milk, you add spicy notes of sour cream or cream cheese, richness in fat, and whatever delicious ingredients are found in the sauce in the first place. Any sauce will work – onion sauce, ranch sauce, chipotle sauce, buffalo sauce, or, as I used, spinach sauce.
Assembling the layers is surprisingly easy. After you cut the dry bread into cubes and set aside, prepare the custard. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl, then add the sauce, milk, and any seasonings, herbs, or accessories you like. It will look like an intimidatingly large scrambled egg with lots of ingredients. Throw in the diced bread. At this point, the easiest way to mix the bread is with a combination motion where you press down on the bread, scooping it from the bottom of the bowl on top of you. After a few twists, all the bread cubes should be well coated with the custard.
Pour the mixture into a well-oiled baking dish, cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes or up to 24 hours in advance. When ready, bake the sheets for about 30 minutes.
The following recipe uses spinach sauce, but I wanted to increase the green factor so I added sautéed fresh spinach to the custard mixture. I used Trader Joe’s spinach sauce (highly recommended), but you can substitute another sauce for this. Along with chopped spinach, it includes tiny pieces of water chestnuts that remain surprisingly crunchy even after baking. The finished layers are fluffy, rich and satisfying – perfect for serving at a brunch party or Sunday night baking and refrigeration for a week for breakfast.
spinach dipping sauce
Ingredients:
- 6 large eggs
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 can Trader Joe’s Spinach Sauce (10 ounces)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup cooked chopped spinach
- 8 ounces dry bread, diced (I used a dry bun)
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese (or any other cheese you have)
Grease a baking dish with butter and set aside. (Use any shape of oven dish. For thinner layers, use a 13″ x 9″ baking dish, or for taller slices, use a 10″ baking dish or a cast iron skillet.)
Whisk the first three ingredients thoroughly, then add the next three ingredients. Switch to a rubber spatula and toss with chopped spinach. Add dry bread, stir and roll the cubes in the egg mixture. Pour the mixture of layers into the prepared baking dish. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 45 minutes or up to 24 hours.
Sprinkle cheese on top before baking. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes depending on the size of the baking dish. The layers are made with swollen edges, and the center is set without liquid spots. Enjoy hot or cool completely and store covered in the refrigerator for up to five days. Heat the slices in the microwave for 30 seconds. This recipe is for eight servings.