Spinach and Gruyère Breakfast Casserole
Updated February 2, 2025
Kerri Brewer for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
- Total Time
- 1 hour 50 minutes, plus at least 8 hours chilling and 10 minutes resting
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 1 hour 40 minutes, plus at least 8 hours chilling and 10 minutes resting
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
8 ounces baguette or other crusty bread, cut into 1 ½-inch cubes
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), more as needed
2 leeks, trimmed, halved and thinly sliced into half-moons
10 ounces fresh spinach
¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
Large pinch of ground cayenne
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons dry vermouth or white wine
8 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half (or use a mix of milk and heavy cream)
½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
4 ounces Gruyère, grated (2 cups)
¾ cup grated Parmesan
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 to 10 servings)
17 grams carbs; 221 milligrams cholesterol; 417 calories; 9 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 16 grams saturated fat; 29 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 541 milligrams sodium; 22 grams protein; 4 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or a large gratin dish.
- Step 2
Spread baguette cubes on a baking sheet. Bake until crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer cubes to a large bowl and toss with 4 tablespoons melted butter and a pinch of salt.
- Step 3
Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add leeks and a pinch of salt, and sauté until tender and lightly golden, about 5 minutes.
- Step 4
Stir in about half of the spinach leaves, a pinch of salt, nutmeg, cayenne and lemon zest, and stir until wilted, about 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in remaining spinach and another pinch of salt. Sauté until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in the vermouth and let cook for 2 to 4 minutes, or until the pan looks dry. Taste and add more salt if needed. Let spinach cool.
- Step 5
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Add mixture to the baguette, tossing well. Add spinach, 1¾ cups Gruyère and ½ cup Parmesan, and toss everything until mixed (your hands work well for this).
- Step 6
Pour mixture into prepared baking dish, cover, and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
- Step 7
When ready to bake, heat oven to 350 degrees. Uncover and top casserole with remaining ¼ cup grated Gruyère and ¼ cup grated Parmesan. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the center is set and no longer liquidy (it might puff, and that’s fine). Let sit for 10 to 20 minutes before serving.
Private Notes
Comments
If the recipe asks for 8 hours chilling, "preheat the oven" should NOT be the first step.
The oven preheat is for drying out the baguette.
I put this together at the crack of dawn, like 5:30 am, while the coffee brewed and then sipping my first cup, it goes together that quickly, then popped it in the fridge to remove about 5:30 pm to add finishing cheese while the oven preheated to pop it in to use as dinner. Excellent for that meal too. Fresh citrus slices alongside, a glass of Champagne. Ahh...some evening.
I used this recipe, adjusted for the size of a 9" pie pan, for making a chicken and spinach quiche with gruyere. It was delicious!
This dish came out perfect and everyone loved it ! I made it the night before and cooked it in the morning for Mother Day.
Excellent company recipe anytime of year. Made it as per recipe, the day before and overnight in the frig. To measure the amount of bread needed, I simply cut enough to fill a large sheet pan as directed in step 2, which worked out perfectly. Any extra bread, I saved and froze. I will definitely make again.