Spinach and Pancetta Strata

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As a 'strata virgin" I was a bit cautious after reading all the comments about being 'soggy', "bland", "bready." But I followed the recipe exactly (albeit did add a bit of swiss cheese to each layer, subbed 2 large shallots for the onions, used 10oz of bagged spinach instead of the frozen, and 1 pound of bacon in place of the pancetta and it was AMAZING! I did soak the strata in the fridge overnight and the next day was worried it would be too bready/dry as the moisture was completely soaked into the bread. However,the eggs baked up light and fluggy and the bread was perfect (couldn't even tell it was in there!. And bland? No way. I didn't add anything other than the ingredients called for and it was very flavorful. (I did use an Italian Rustic loaf from a local bakery. Now that I've made it once I may 'tweek' it with more herbs and maybe some mushrooms and/or asparagus. But the "base" componets are great!

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Amazing recipe. Totally knocked it out of the park. Per the suggestions on the soggy spinach, I used fresh baby spinach instead and it was perfect. Also used just 2 cups of skim milk with about 1/4 cup of half & half and used shaved Parmesan. (doubled the parm. Let it sit in fridge for,an hour and half, baked for 55 and it was a Huge hit.. Will def be a standard in our house.

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I make a couple of different stratas, and this is one of my favorites but it requires a few tweaks. You really have to work to get as much moisture as possible out of the spinach. I let it defrost in a colander and then, one handful at a time, squeeze out the water. Then I squeeze it again in paper towels until it's as dry as I can get it. That really helps to prevent mushiness. The other thing I find is that this recipe has too much bread for my taste. I usually make a double portion, and this time I doubled the bread and eggs plus added 5 more eggs and it was still quite heavy on the bread. Next time I will cut the bread by 1/3 to 1/2. The flavors are great and it's always a huge hit with brunch guests.

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I loved this dish! I made this for my monthly Book Club Meeting. After reading every single review...I made this dish with sourdough bread. I used bacon (THE WHOLE PACKAGE, used almost the whole bottle of Parmasean Cheese. I was skeptical about how many eggs and milk to put in (Per other reviews. I was only going to use 8 eggs and 2 cups of milk but after I put that in it wasn't much in the pan so I put the last 2 eggs and rest of the milk in (I guess it depends on how big the pan is?! I cooked it for 1hr. The top turned out great, it looked and smelled so good, BUT the bottom was stuck to the pan! Booooo! (I did butter the pan I guess next time I will cook for maybe 45-50min. Maybe in for too long? The dish was sooooo good and everyone loved it!

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I really liked how it smelled in the oven, and the top layer was delicious, but as for the bottom layer, it was mushy.

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I made this dish for Easter brunch. While a few people did enjoy it, I thought it was terrible. I did not like the flavor of the frozen spinach or the consistency of the eggs and bread together. I'm not sure why it had such good reviews. I followed the recipe exactly and will not make it again!

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This recipe was a hit at a recent brunch. I used a dozen eggs and it came out very fluffy. It did need about an hour in the oven though.

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Absolutely delicious! We only kept it in for one hour due to a time crunch and it still worked out great!

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This is a huge hit every time I make it. My husband absolutely loves it and I now get requests from other family members. I follow the recipe exactly and let it sit overnight, except I bake it for a little bit longer, about 10 minutes. Eat it with a little tabasco and it's the perfect combination. This is my go-to recipe for brunches or for those extra special breakfasts/lunches. Love it!

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I made this for brunch with friends, and folks enjoyed it. I'll definitely make it again. Followed the recipe exactly and the only quibble I have is the cooking time. Took closer to an hour than 40 minutes, but I suppose the oven could be at fault.