Spinach Florentine Breakfast Casserole

For all its elegance, this breakfast casserole is simple to put together in advance for guests or special occasions.

By
Sara Bir
Sara Bir
Sara Bir
Sara is a chef, culinary educator, and author of three cookbooks, The Pocket Pawpaw Cookbook, Tasting Ohio and The Fruit Forager's Companion. The latter won a 2019 IACP Cookbook Award.
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Updated January 23, 2024
Sara Bir
Serving of spinach florentine breakfast casserole lifted from a casserole dish

Simply Recipes / Photo by Fred Hardy / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower

As beloved as breakfast casseroles are, they can get into a rut. Sausage, cheddar cheese, perhaps a few token vegetables. If you’d like to shake things up, here’s a sophisticated yet simple breakfast casserole that’ll grab everyone’s attention in the most delightful way.

Adding chopped frozen spinach, Parmesan cheese, and creamy mascarpone elevates this casserole practically to dinner party fare. English muffins stand in for the bread cubes, making for a stunning presentation. Serve it for brunch, a luncheon, or any occasion where you want to impress but don’t want to labor in the kitchen.

Make Ahead

You’ll need to allow an hour for the assembled casserole to rest before you bake it. Use that to your advantage; you can assemble and refrigerate the casserole up to 12 hours before baking.

Serving of spinach florentine breakfast casserole lifted from a casserole dish

Simply Recipes / Photo by Fred Hardy / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower
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Spinach Florentine Breakfast Casserole

Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 55 mins
Chill Time 60 mins
Total Time 2 hrs 25 mins
Servings 6 to 12 servings

This recipe was developed by Jasmine Smith

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Ingredients

  • 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for greasing 

  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

  • 3 clove garlic, finely chopped

  • 1 (8-ounce) container mascarpone cheese (about 1 cup)

  • 4 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated on a Microplane (about 1 cup), divided 

  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

  • 10 large eggs

  • 1 2/3 cups half-and-half

  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

  • 6 English muffins, split 

Method

  1. Prep the spinach: 

    Place the spinach on a clean kitchen towel and squeeze firmly over the sink to remove as much liquid as possible. Set aside.

    Frozen spinach in a kitchen towel after squeezed to remove all moisture for spinach flornetine breakfast casserole recipe

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Fred Hardy / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower
  2. Cook the onion, garlic, and spinach:

    Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic; cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the spinach; cook, stirring often and breaking up with a wooden spoon, until it looks dried out, about 2 minutes.

    Set aside to cool slightly, about 5 minutes.

    Spinach sauteed with onion and garlic for spinach flornetine breakfast casserole recipe

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Fred Hardy / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower
  3. Add the cheese and season: 

    Reserve 1/4 cup of the spinach mixture. Transfer the remaining spinach mixture to a medium bowl and add mascarpone cheese, 1/2 cup of Parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Stir until well combined and set aside.

    Three-fourths of cooked spinach mixed with cheese and seasoning in a bowl for spinach flornetine breakfast casserole recipe

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Fred Hardy / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower
  4. Assemble the casserole:

    Whisk the eggs, half-and-half, crushed red pepper, reserved 1/4 cup spinach mixture, 1/4 cup Parmesan, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a large bowl until well combined. 

    Lightly grease a 13x9-inch baking dish. Arrange the bottom halves of the English muffins in the dish in three rows of two. Evenly spread the spinach-mascarpone mixture over the muffins. Cover with the top English muffin halves. Pour the egg mixture over the casserole, then press down on the English muffins to submerge. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.

    Wet ingredients mixed with reserved spinach (1/4) for spinach flornetine breakfast casserole recipe

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Fred Hardy / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower
    Spinach and cheese filling added to a casserole dish for spinach flornetine breakfast casserole

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Fred Hardy / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower
    Parmesan added to casserole dish after wet ingredients were poured over the English muffins and filling for spinach flornetine breakfast casserole

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Fred Hardy / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower
  5. Rest:

    Cover the dish with foil and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours.

  6. Bake and serve:

    Preheat the oven to 350°F. Uncover and bake the casserole in the preheated oven until just set and the tops of the English muffins are golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let the casserole cool 10 minutes before serving.

    Love the recipe? Leave us stars and a comment below!

    Baked spinach florentine breakfast casserole in a casserole dish

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Fred Hardy / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower
    Serving of spinach florentine breakfast casserole on a plate, and in the surroundings, a casserole dish with more, a small bowl with crushed pepper, and glasses of orange juice

    Simply Recipes / Photo by Fred Hardy / Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
433 Calories
26g Fat
38g Carbs
13g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 12
Amount per serving
Calories 433
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 26g 33%
Saturated Fat 10g 49%
Cholesterol 206mg 69%
Sodium 757mg 33%
Total Carbohydrate 38g 14%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 19g
Protein 13g
Vitamin C 2mg 12%
Calcium 195mg 15%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 280mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.