Easy Strata And Variations Food

EASY BREAKFAST STRATA

Steps:

• Place bread cubes in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. In a large skillet, cook and crumble sausage with pepper and onion over medium-high heat until no longer pink, 5-7 minutes. With a slotted spoon, place sausage mixture over bread. Sprinkle with cheese., In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, mustard and milk; pour over top. Refrigerate, covered, overnight., Preheat oven to 350°. Remove strata from refrigerator while oven heats., Bake, uncovered, until a knife inserted in center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting. Freeze option: Cover and freeze unbaked casserole. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake casserole as directed, increasing time as necessary to heat through and for a thermometer inserted in center to read 165°.

EASY STRATA AND VARIATIONS

Steps:

• Saute mushrooms in 1 tablespoon of oil. Season with salt and set aside.
• Whisk half-and-half, eggs, salt and pepper until smooth. Spray a 9-by-13-inch Pyrex or ceramic baking dish with vegetable cooking spray.
• Line bottom with 6 slices of bread. Scatter half of the ham, and half of the mushrooms over the bread, then sprinkle with half of the scallions and cheese. Pour 1 cup of egg mixture over the top. Repeat layers with remaining bread, ham, mushrooms, cheese and scallions. Slowly pour remaining egg mixture evenly over top. Cover with plastic wrap, then weight down casserole with 3 16-ounce cans for at least 15 minutes to submerge ingredients. (Can be refrigerated overnight, but return to room temperature before baking.)
• Adjust oven rack to middle position. Bake in preheated 325-degree oven until custard is just set, about 50 minutes. Turn on broiler and broil until strata is spotty brown and puffy (watch carefully), about 5 minutes longer. Let stand for 8 to 10 minutes, then serve immediately.

BREAKFAST STRATA

Steps:

• Prepare the pan: Lightly grease an 8-inch square pan. Build the layers: Add half the bread cubes to the pan. Sprinkle half the sausage and half the cheese on top. Repeat with another layer of bread, sausage and cheese. Make the filling: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until beaten. Whisk in the milk, mustard, salt and black pepper until well-blended. Pour the mixture in the pan over the bread. Gently press down on the bread with the back of a fork or a spatula to help the bread absorb the liquid. Refrigerate the strata: Lightly cover the strata, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove the strata from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking. (Putting the strata right in the oven can be risky- the sudden change of temperature can cause some pans to crack or break). Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Bake the strata: Bake for 50 to 65 minutes, or until the center appears set and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool 10 to 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

SPINACH, ROASTED PEPPER AND CHEESE STRATA

Steps:

• Heat butter and olive oil in a small saute pan. Add sweet onion, a generous dash of salt, and several grinds of fresh black pepper. Cook slowly over low heat until onions are nicely caramelized.
• Meanwhile, quarter, stem and seed the bell pepper, being sure to cut away any white pith. Place the pepper quarters skin side up under the broiler for about 5 minutes, or until the skin is beginning to char. Remove peppers to a closed container or a bowl with a plate across it. Once cool enough to handle, slough off the skin and dice the pepper.
• Squeeze as much moisture out of the thawed spinach as possible. In a wide bowl, combine spinach, cilantro, caramelized onion, diced roasted pepper and any collected pepper juices until evenly mixed. Gently stir in feta.
• In a separate bowl or small pitcher, whisk together eggs and milk. If desired, add a tablespoon of grainy mustard or a teaspoon of prepared horseradish, along with additional ground black pepper, into the custard.
• Spray a large deep lidded casserole with cooking spray. Spray the edges of the lid as well. Spread half of the bread cubes across the bottom. Arrange spinach mixture over bread to cover, all the way out to the edges. Top spinach with shredded cheese and then remaining bread cubes.
• Slowly pour the custard mixture evenly over the strata, moving in concentric circles. Cover strata and refrigerate at least one hour and up to one day.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake strata, covered, 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue to bake 20-25 minutes, or until golden. Remove from oven and allow to stand 5 - 10 minutes.

EASY STRATA AND VARIATIONS

Steps:

• DIRECTIONS: 1. Beat milk, eggs, and pepper until smooth. Spray a 11-by-15-inch Pyrex or ceramic baking dish with vegetable cooking spray. 2. Line bottom with 6 slices of bread. Scatter half of the meat/vegetables over the bread, then sprinkle with half of the scallions/onions and cheese. Pour 1 cup of egg mixture over the top. Repeat making another layer and use up the rest of the egg mixture. 3. Cover and refrigerate overnight. (can be frozen at this point) NOTE: Bring to room temperature before baking. 4. (NOTE: bring to room temperature before baking) Repheat oven to 325-350 degrees. Bake until custard is set, and top is lightly browned and strata puffs up, about 50 minutes. (may take longer) Let stand for 8 to 10 minutes, then serve immediately. FOOTNOTES: VEGETABLE OPTIONS Frozen peppers and onions. Frozen SPinich - defrosted and squeezed to get most of liquid out. Chopped raw broccoli Frozen corn: Thaw and drain. MEAT OPTIONS Bacon: Cut into 1/2-inch pieces and fry until crisp. Drain well. Sausage: Fry bulk breakfast or Italian sausage until fully cooked. Drain. Kielbasa: Thinly slice. Crab: Pick over pasteurized backfin crab for shell and cartilage.