Bacon Asparagus Strata Food

ASPARAGUS & CHEESE STRATA

Steps:

• Grease a 9-inch square baking dish.
• In a large bowl, stir together bread cubes, asparagus, 1 cup shredded cheese and the cilantro or parsley, if using.
• In a small bowl, beat together eggs, milk and salt.
• Add to bread cube mixture and stir to combine.
• Transfer to greased baking dish; top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
• Wrap tightly and refrigerate until ready to bake--several hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Uncover baking dish and place on rimmed baking sheet.
• Bake until golden brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes.
• Cut strata into 6 rectangles and serve with sour cream.

OVERNIGHT ASPARAGUS STRATA

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring 8 cups water to a boil. Add asparagus; cook, uncovered, 2-3 minutes or just until crisp-tender. Drain and immediately drop into ice water. Drain and pat dry., Arrange six English muffin halves in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish, cut side up. Trim remaining muffin halves to fill spaces. Layer with 1 cup cheese, asparagus, ham and red pepper. , In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, salt, mustard and pepper. Pour over top. Refrigerate, covered, overnight., Preheat oven to 375°. Remove strata from refrigerator while oven heats. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

ASPARAGUS, BACON AND CHEESE STRATA

Steps:

• 1. Heat oil in a large ovenproof Cast Iron skillet over medium heat.
• 2. Add bacon and cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Add onion and asparagus; sauté until vegetable are soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove vegetables from pan and set aside.
• 3. Preheat broiler. Off heat, coat same skillet with cooking spray. Arrange bread slices tightly in bottom of skillet. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, milk, mustard, salt and pepper; pour over bread and allow milk mixture to soak in entirely (like when you make French toast). Sprinkle bread with 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese. Place skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Cook, shaking pan frequently to promote even cooking, until almost cooked through to the top, about 4 or 5 minutes.
• 4. Place skillet under broiler to set eggs, about 2 minutes. Remove skillet from broiler; top with bacon-vegetable mixture, cheddar cheese and remaining tablespoon of Parmesan cheese. Place skillet under broiler again until cheese melts, about 1 to 2 minutes. Slice into 6 pieces and serve. Yields 1 piece per serving.

BACON-ASPARAGUS STRATA

Steps:

• Lightly coat a 3-quart rectangular baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine bacon, asparagus, and red peppers.
• Place half of the bread cubes in the prepared baking dish.
• Top with half of the bacon mixture and half of the cheese.
• Repeat layers with remaining bread cubes, bacon mixture, and cheese.
• In a big bowl, beat eggs with a whisk; beat or whisk in milk, mustard, salt, and cayenne pepper.
• Carefully pour egg mixture evenly over bread mixture in dish.
• Using the back of a spoon, gently press down on layers to moisten all of the bread.
• Cover dish with plastic wrap and chill for 2 to 24 hours.
• Preheat oven to 325°; bake, uncovered, for 50-60 minutes or until puffed, golden, and set.
• Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.