We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and casseroles just happen to be one of my favorite holiday breakfast dishes! I usually only have them around the holidays so it’s always something that I look forward to. There is just something special about waking up to a warm casserole filled with bacon, eggs, and cheese. This recipe is jam-packed with nutritious ingredients and has about half the calories of your traditional bread casserole.  It has a creamy texture inside with crispy bread pieces on top. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 4 center-cut bacon slices
• 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (about 1 medium onion)
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 6 ounces fresh spinach, chopped
• 6 ounces crusty whole-grain bread, cut into 1-in. cubes
• 3 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded (3/4 cup)
• 3/4 cup 1% low-fat milk
• 3/4 cup plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt
• 4 large eggs
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

1. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium until crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving 1 1/2 tablespoons drippings in skillet; discard any remaining drippings. Finely chop bacon; set aside.
2. Add onion and garlic to drippings in skillet over medium-high heat; cook, stirring occa­sionally, until onion is browned and tender, about 10 minutes. Add spinach; cook until spinach wilts, about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Toss together chopped bacon, onion mixture, bread cubes, and cheese in a large bowl. Arrange mixture evenly in an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray.
3. Combine milk, yogurt, eggs, egg whites, mustard, pepper, and salt in a large bowl; stir with a whisk until well combined. Pour evenly over bread mixture. Cover and chill 8 hours or overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Uncover baking dish; let casserole stand at room temperature as oven preheats. Bake in preheated oven until top of casserole is browned and a knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour.

Source: http://www.cookinglight.com/recipes/spinach-bacon-gruyere-breakfast-strata

Check out the other recipes in the Holiday Recipe Swap series:

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes