Italian Bacon Tomato Chicken Strata Food

BACON AND ONION STRATA

Steps:

• Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
• Put the bacon in a large skillet then cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crispy, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings. Add the onion to the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until very soft and golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 6 minutes more. Set aside.
• Whisk the half-and-half, Parmesan, eggs, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and few grinds of pepper together in a large bowl.
• Layer half of the bread cubes in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups of the Swiss, followed by the bacon-onion mixture. Cover with the remaining bread cubes and pour the half-and-half mixture evenly over top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. (This can also be assembled the day of; just let soak at room temperature 30 minutes to 1 hour before baking.)
• On the day of baking, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Let the strata sit at room temperature while the oven preheats. Remove the plastic and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup Swiss. Bake until slightly puffed and just no longer jiggly in the center, 40 to 50 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

ITALIAN STRATA

Steps:

• In large skillet, cook sausage, drain.
• Grease a 9x13 baking dish.
• Cut bread into 1/2 inch cubes.
• In a large bowl, combine sausage, bread and mushrooms.
• Put in prepared pan.
• In same large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and seasonings.
• Pour over bread mixture.
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• In the morning, preheat oven to 350°F.
• Bake uncovered 1 hour. Sprinkle evenly with cheeses.
• Bake 15 minutes longer.
• Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

BACON, CHEESE AND TOMATO STRATA

Steps:

• Spray 13x9-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. Spread bread in baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with 1 1/2 cups of the cheese; mix lightly with bread. Sprinkle with tomatoes.
• In medium bowl, beat eggs, milk, mustard, basil and salt with fork or wire whisk; pour over bread mixture. Cover tightly and refrigerate at least 2 hours but no longer than 24 hours.
• Heat oven to 350°F. Bake uncovered 40 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Meanwhile, in 10-inch skillet, cook bacon over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until crisp; drain on paper towel.
• Crumble bacon. Sprinkle bacon and remaining 1/2 cup cheese over strata. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

SPINACH MUSHROOM STRATA

Steps:

• Squeeze liquid from spinach and set aside.
• Heat butter over medium heat and cook onion and mushrooms until soft.
• Add 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper and nutmeg and cook for one minute.
• And spinach, stir, and remove from heat.
• In a lightly buttered 1 1/2 to 2 quart casserole, spread one third of the bread cubes across the bottom, then 1/3 of the spinach mixture, then 1/3 of the Gruyere, and 1/3 of the Parmesan.
• Continue layering ingredients, finishing with a cheese layer.
• Whisk together the milk, eggs, and mustard. Pour evenly over casserole.
• Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, until golden brown and puffy in the middle. Casserole can be refrigerated overnight before cooking.

TOMATO BASIL STRATA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 F degrees.
• Combine bread, tomatoes, onion, and cheese in a large bowl and set aside.
• Spray a 2 qt baking dish with Pam or equivalent.
• Spoon bread mixture into dish.
• Combine eggs, milk, melted butter, basil, garlic salt, and pepper, and pour over bread mixture.
• Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

CHICKEN STRATA

Steps:

• Heat butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add asparagus, water and cover. Cook until asparagus is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Uncover and cook until all liquid is evaporated, about 2 minutes. Transfer vegetables to large bowl.
• Add chicken and mayonnaise, mix well. Whisk milk, broth, eggs, parsley, chives, salt and pepper in another bowl.
• Lightly butter a 13x9 inch glass baking dish. Spread half of bread cubes in dish; top with chicken mixture. Spread remaining cubes over chicken. Pour egg mixture over ingredients in dish. Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 10 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350°F Bake strata for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese; bake until cheese is melted, about 15 minutes more. Let stand for 5 minutes; serve hot.

SPINACH AND BACON STRATA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute chopped bacon in large skillet until crisp. Using slotted spoon, remove bacon from skillet to paper towel-lined plate to drain.
• Reserve small amount of bacon drippings in skillet. Add onion to skillet and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and spinach and saute 2 minutes. Stir in 1/2 teaspoons seasoning salt and reserved bacon.
• Place half bread cubes in a buttered 9x13" baking dish. Sprinkle half of the cheese over the bread, top with half of the spinach mixture. Repeat layering.
• Whisk milk, eggs, and remaining 1/2 teaspoons of seasoning salt in a large bowl and pour evenly over the strata. Gently push surface of bread down into milk to coat. Chill strata, covered with plastic wrap, at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
• Bake strata uncovered until puffed, golden brown, and cooked through, about 45 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

ITALIAN PUMPKIN STRATA

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook sausage, onion, peppers, and garlic in oil; crumble sausage into pieces.
• Cook until sausage is no longer pink; drain.
• Combine bread, cheese, and sausage mixture in a large bowl.
• Mix together milk, pumpkin, eggs, salt, pepper, and seasonings.
• Pour over bread mixture and stir gently until bread is moistened.
• Pour into a greased 13x9 inch baking dish.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until set.
• Serve warm.

GRILLED CHEESE, BACON AND TOMATO STRATA

Steps:

• Cook the bacon until crisp, remove from pan and crumble.
• Saute the onions and garlic in about 1 tablespoon of bacon grease until
• tender, about 4 minutes. Combine the onions with the bacon.
• Place 4 cups of bread in the bottom of a 9 by 13 pan, top with 2/3 cup cheese and 1/2 the onion mixture and 1/2 of the tomatoes.
• Combine the eggs, milk, basil and seasonings and pour half over the tomatoes. Repeat the layers.
• Cover and chill over night. Bake, uncovered at 325 degrees for 55 minutes.
• Sprinkle with the remaining 2/3 cup of cheese and return to the oven until
• the cheese melts, about 5 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.