Ham and Spinach Strata!

I try to keep things simple over at my house. There are a few things I have found while experimenting in the kitchen the past few years; lesson 1) if it seems too complicated it probably is. For example, I tried to make this eggplant parmesan recipe I found in my SHAPE magazine recently. It said "soak your eggplant in water for 30 minutes and then let dry on paper towels. Then dredge one side in bread crumbs....". Being that I am not really even a huge fan of eggplant I decided to just stop there and not even continue to read any further. I didn't like eggplant enough to let it soak in water.
 2) Some things are better in a  package. Case in point: While watching Buddy cook banana pudding on Kitchen Boss I decided that I wanted to try. Long story short I ended up making the banana pudding FROM SCRATCH and ended up in tears both times. I whisked that stupid pudding for like 30 minutes (he only did it for 4-5 minutes) and it STILL wasn't thickened. Basically the box pudding is quick, easy, good, won't make you cry, and will save 4 hours trying to make it from scratch.
3) Just keep it simple. I feel like the meals that save me time and money are sometimes my best meals. I tried to make crab cakes one time from scratch and failed miserably. I spent about, oh, 40 big ones trying to make them too. I cried that night too. BUT I was 6 months preggo so at least I had an excuse...

I constituted all my rules cooking tonight's meal-a ham and spinach strata. I'll first start with the definition so that you can better understand the foundation of a strata if you have never heard of one (my Meemaw had not).
Strata:
1. A layer or series of rocks in the ground.
2. A thin layer within any structure.
3. A very yummy breakfast casserole consisting of  eggs and bread.

Basically my ham and spinach strata consists of layers of some of my favorite foods-ham, onions, cheese, garlic, and of course, bread and eggs. I prepared it the night before and stored it in the fridge until I was ready to cook it for dinner. It would be a great breakfast dish too (obviously). This recipe is a good frugal staple and would be a great meal prepared from holiday leftovers, like turkey or ham and day-old bread. I love meals that are quick, can be prepared ahead of time, and only consist of ONE dish to wash afterwards:).

The beauty of this dish is the fact that you can pretty much put any vegetable, cheese, bread, and meat combo in it. I used what was in my fridge which was onions, spinach, cheese, and ham. I personally used a little more bread and cheese than the recipe called for. Paula Deen says that you should always follow a new recipe to the T the first time you make it and then experiment the second time around. I always try to stick to my recipe but I always add a little more of my favorite ingredients than the recipe calls for. I say if you really love a certain food then you can never have enough! Here is the recipe. I hope you enjoy!

Ham and Spinach Strata
Serves 8-10
1 TBSP butter, unsalted (room temp)
10 large eggs
2 1/2 cups of whole mild
1 TBSP Dijon mustard
1 TSP chili powder
1 TSP salt
Pepper to taste
1 loaf of bread (preferably day old bread), cut into 1-inch pieces
1 lb ham (deli or holiday), cut into bite-sized pieces.
1 medium-sized onion, diced
2 cups of washed spinach, torn into 1 inch pieces
8 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded

Directions:
Heat oven to 350*
1. Place bread on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until lightly toasted.
2. Butter a 2 1/2 to 3-quart baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, chili powder, salt, pepper,  and Dijon. Add bread when done baking.
3. Cook onions in a skillet on medium heat until tender. Add spinach towards the end and cook until spinach is soft and wilted.
4. Add onions, spinach, and ham to egg mixture and mix well.
5. Carefully pour mixture into greased baking dish. Cover and refrigerate overnight (or at least a few hours).
6. Pre-heat the oven to 350*. Pull Strata out of fridge and let sit for 15 minutes. Bake the strata, uncovered, until puffed and lightly golden brown, about 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

* I cut recipe in half but added 1 more egg (6 total) and about a half loaf of bread.