Cheesy Kale, Mushroom, and Fennel Strata with Real California Gouda Cheese
/If you're looking for holiday dinner inspiration, look no further than this mushroom and kale strata. It's a nutritious and delicious casserole that can serve your friends and family during your holiday meal. Plus, it's affordable with its seasonal ingredients and is vegetarian to boot!
You might notice that this strata is dreamy, and that’s because it's layered with Real California ingredients – from the milk and cheese to the heavy cream, gouda, and Dry Jack. And in between those layers? A whole lot of vegetables! You'll be surprised to find that all of these nutrient-packed ingredients can fit into on 12-inch cast-iron skillet, but they sure can.
Stratas are essentially a savory bread pudding and are a lot of fun to make. Even though there are a few steps involved, they're simple and easy to put together. This strata makes for a one-pan skillet meal as well, which means that there's little to clean up when everything is said and done.
I love making casseroles like this because vegetables and dairy pair so perfectly together – in taste AND nutrition! Packed with essential vitamins and minerals, be sure to look for the Real California Milk seal on dairy products when you're shopping for your holiday meals at stores across the U.S.
Cheesy Kale, Mushroom, and Fennel Strata with Real California Gouda Cheese
Time: 1 Hour, 30 Minutes
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
8 oz sourdough bread, cubed into 1" pieces
4 Tbsp. Real California butter, divided
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
8 oz cremini or shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 fennel bulbs, halved, cored, thinly sliced
1 small bunch kale, stemmed, torn into pieces
6 large eggs
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1-2 tsp tabasco sauce
Pinch of nutmeg
1 tsp lemon zest
1 cup Real California milk
½ cup Real California heavy cream or half & half (for a lighter option)
1 cup Real California gouda cheese, grated, divided
1/3 cup Real California Dry Jack cheese, grated, divided
Directions
Preheat oven to 250°F. Add bread cubes to a rimmed baking sheet and bake until starting to just crisp around the edges, about 7-8 minutes. Remove bread from heat and allow to cool. Increase heat to 350°F.
Heat 1 tbsp butter in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Add garlic and rosemary and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add mushrooms in batches, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until golden, about 4 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to a bowl.
To the same skillet, heat 1 tbsp butter over medium-high heat. Add fennel and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until softened, about 6-8 minutes. Return mushrooms to the skillet. In batches, stir in kale until wilted, about 5 minutes. Transfer vegetable mixture to a bowl.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs, Dijon, tabasco sauce, nutmeg, and lemon zest. Then whisk in the milk and heavy cream with ½ tsp salt and 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper.
Wipe out the skillet and coat with 2 tbsp butter. Layer half of the sourdough in the skillet and follow with half of the vegetable mixture and half the gouda and Dry Jack. Repeat with remaining bread and kale. Pour over the whisked eggs and press down into the bread with a spatula. Top with remaining gouda and Dry Jack.
Transfer skillet to the oven and bake for 35 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from heat and serve warm.
If you loved this recipe, you will also love my recipes for: Real California Milk Charcuterie Board, Thanksgiving Skillet Pizza, and Real California Breakfast Salad!
