Are you finding yourself in the midst of a too-much-leftover-ham problem this Easter Sunday afternoon?
Well, to be clear. Extra ham is not so much a problem, PERSAY, as an opportunity. An opportunity to make as many delicious hammy things as possible in the name of efficiency and non-wastefulness. These few post-Easter days aren’t QUITE as exciting as the post-Thanskgiving turkey-leftovers days, but they are pretty darn close if you ask me.
In no particular order, here are my favorite things to do with leftover ham:
- Shove it in my face piece by piece with my hands while standing in front of the open refrigerator (pants optional).
- Make a gigantic ham sammy on a Hawaiian roll with lots of spicy Dijon mustard.
- Add it to the one and only GREATEST one-dish breakfast dish that ever existed.
Yeah….numero tres? That would be this here strata. This has long been my go-to brunch recipe when we have guests, and I’ve mentioned it a few times before but never actually given it the post it deserves. It’s so fantastic, foolproof, MAKE-AHEAD, and gets the bread and the protein outta the way in one dish. It seriously fills you up for hours. Well, this time, I knew all ya’ll would have some extra Easter ham on your hands, so I added ham. Needless to say, this was a really good decision. As we know from Monte Cristos and Croque Madames, ham and gruyere are a match made in heaven. I knew it would be the perfect addition to not only make this an even better version of the original recipe I’ve grown to love so much, but also give you another way to use up your ham. Because let’s be real – as tempting as eating leftovers straight outta the fridge is, don’t we always feel so completely awesome when we can repurpose them into something totally different, something equally as delicious as the original usage? Now that is the true leftover pinnacle of success right there!
So whether you have leftover ham or not, this ham, gruyere, and spinach strata is going to be your new best friend. It’s so flavorful from the cheeses (gruyere and Parmesan, baby), the big ol’ pieces of ham, and the buttery onions and spinach. I use low-fat milk to make it creamy and moist without being too heavy, and the result is absolute one-dish breakfast perfection. I promise this baby will become a favorite in your house, too!
Happy Easter, friends!
- 1 10-oz. package frozen spinach, thawed
- 1 large white onion, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
- ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided
- ¼ tsp. nutmeg
- 8 cups cubed French bread (can also use Italian bread) (about 1 1-lb. loaf)
- 2 cups grated Gruyere cheese
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup cubed ham
- 2 ¾ cups low-fat milk
- 9 eggs
- 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- The night before, assemble the strata. In a large skillet, melt 2 tbsp. butter. Add the onion, sautéing for a few minutes until soft. Add ½ tsp. kosher salt, ¼ tsp. black pepper, and the nutmeg. Stir to combine, then add the spinach. Cook for one more minute then remove from the heat.
- In a 9x13” baking dish that has been thoroughly buttered, add 1/3 of the bread cubes. Top with 1/3 of the spinach-onion mixture, then 1/3 of each of the cheeses and 1/3 of the ham. Repeat layers 2 more times, ending with the cheese and ham.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, Dijon, and the remaining ½ tsp. kosher salt and ¼ tsp. black pepper.
- Pour the egg mixture over the bread/veggie/cheese/ham mixture, very slowly and evenly to ensure it all gets covered. Cover with foil and allow to sit in the fridge overnight (or at least 8 hours) for the bread to absorb the milk/egg mixture.
- In the morning, take the strata out of the fridge to allow to rest for about 30 minutes before baking. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the strata uncovered for about 45 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned on top. Let rest for about 5-10 minutes before cutting, then enjoy!
Looking for more leftover-ham ideas?
Skillet Baked Pancetta Macaroni and Cheese
