Overnight Egg Cheese Strata Food

MOM'S BREAKFAST STRATA

Steps:

• Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer half of the torn bread in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle the mushrooms and green bell pepper evenly over the bread layer. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Top with remaining bread pieces, then layer with the onion and ham. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Whisk together eggs and milk; pour over the entire pan. Cover with aluminum foil, and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake covered for 35 minutes, then remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until top is evenly brown.

HASH BROWN EGG CASSEROLE WITH HAM

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
• Spray a 9x13 inch pan with nonstick spray, or grease with butter.
• Dump the bag of frozen hashbrowns into the pan. (There is no need to thaw first.)
• Melt a stick of butter in a small bowl, and pour evenly over the potatoes. Sprinkle the potatoes with salt and pepper. Use a spoon to gently toss it all together, then spread it out so that it's even.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and lightly browned on top. You can even nab a forkful to make sure they are done if you like.
• Remove the casserole and reduce the oven temperature to 350.
• Layer 1 and 1/2 cups each Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese over the top of the potatoes (make sure you pack in your cheese! Don't skimp now!) Add the ham. You can either leave it layered or use a spoon to gently toss the cheese and potatoes and ham together. Either way is fine. (I like to toss for a more even distribution.)
• In a large bowl or stand mixer, whisk together 8 eggs, 1 and 1/3 cups evaporated milk OR cream, 1 teaspoon seasoned salt, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (use less if all you have is table salt!), 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard, and 1/4 teaspoon onion powder. Beat well.
• Pour the egg mixture evenly over the top of the casserole, making sure everything gets wet.
• Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. It is done when bubbly. The edges should be starting to brown and the center should not wiggle when you shake the pan.
• If the center of the casserole looks very wobbly but the top is starting to brown too much, cover with foil for the last few minutes of baking.

BACON, EGG, AND CHEESE STRATA

Steps:

• Toss cubed bread with bacon, cheese, and mushrooms, and pour into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Whisk together eggs, half-and-half, and mustard until smooth, then pour evenly over cubed bread. Cover dish with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Remove plastic wrap from the baking dish, and bake strata in preheated oven until the top is golden brown, and the eggs are set, about 1 hour. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

GRANDMA'S ANYTHING GOES STRATA

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease a 1 1/2 quart baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
• Whisk the eggs, milk, half-and-half, nutmeg, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in a large bowl. Fold the greens, meat, bread and 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese into the mixture. Pour into the prepared baking dish and top with the remaining cheese.
• Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake until the strata is puffed, golden brown at the edges and set in the center, about 15 minutes more. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

FLUFFY STRATA RECIPE (OVERNIGHT BREAKFAST CASSEROLE)

Steps:

• Set out a large mixing bowl and a 9X13 inch (3 quart) baking dish. Grease the baking dish. Chop all necessary ingredients.
• In the mixing bowl, add the eggs, milk, salt, ground mustard, and garlic powder. Whisk well to break up all the yolks. Then stir in the cheeses, ham, scallions, and roasted red pepper.
• Tear the bread loaf into 1-2 inch chunks and place them in the baking dish.
• Pour the egg mixture over the top of the bread. Use a spatula to fold the bread over, gently, to make sure the ingredients are evenly distributed. Cover and chill until ready to bake.
• Let the strata recipe rest for at least one hour, so the bread soaks up all the eggs. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. (This is a fabulous make-ahead overnight recipe, so you can also preheat the oven in the morning.)
• Bake, uncovered, for 50-60 minutes, until the top is golden-brown and puffy in the center. Insert a sharp knife into the center to check that the eggs are set. If not, bake another 5-10 minutes. Then cool for 5 minutes before cutting. Serve warm!

ASPARAGUS, EGG, AND CHEESE STRATA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350˚F (176˚C). Butter a smallish, 4-cup ovenproof baking dish.
• Trim the crusts from the bread and toss them to the birds or in the compost. Place the slices of bread in the baking dish, overlapping the slices slightly and, if necessary, allowing the edges to hang over the side of the dish just a little.
• Whisk together the eggs and milk. Stir in half of the cheese and season with salt and pepper. Pour 3/4 of the egg mixture over the bread and set the rest of the egg mixture aside.
• Break off the stem ends of the asparagus where each one snaps naturally. Cut the spears into 1 1/2-inch lengths.
• Layer the prosciutto or mortadella, if using, on the bread. Place the asparagus spears on top and pour the remaining egg mixture over the asparagus. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. At this point, if you have the time, we strongly encourage you to cover the strata with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight to allow the bread to soak up the egg mixture and so the flavors can meld.
• Bake the strata until set, 30 to 35 minutes. (If you refrigerated the strata overnight and are baking it straight from the fridge, you may need to allow a few extra minutes baking time.)
• Let the strata cool slightly. Grind a little pepper over the top, if you please, and sprinkle with chives, if using. Plonk the baking dish on the table and scoop the strata straight from it onto plates. Originally published March 26, 2012.

CHEESE STRATA

Steps:

• Arrange half the bread in a buttered 2 1/2 quart baking dish or 8x8 pan.
• Drizzle half the melted butter over the bread.
• If adding veggies or meat layer those on next.
• Cover with the shredded cheese.
• Top with remaining bread and drizzle remaining butter over.
• In a small bowl, beat the milk, eggs and seasonings.
• Pour over the bread.
• Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 more minutes.
• Can be refrigerated unbaked up to 1 day.

SPINACH & CHEESE STRATA

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and drained spinach and cook 2 minutes more. Set aside.
• Butter a 3-quart or 9x13-inch baking dish. Spread one third of the bread cubes in the dish and top evenly with one third of spinach mixture. (Try to break it up as much as possible so there are no huge clumps of spinach.) Sprinkle with one third of each cheese. Repeat layering twice, ending with cheeses.
• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the half-and-half, mustard, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and whisk until well combined. Pour the custard mixture evenly over the strata. Cover the strata with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Bake the strata, uncovered, until puffed, set and golden brown all over top, 70-80 minutes. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes before serving. It will settle a bit as it cools.
• Note: The cook time is based on the strata going immediately from the fridge to the oven. If it sits out at room temperature before baking, the cook time will be about 10 minutes less.

OVERNIGHT EGG & CHEESE STRATA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/gas 4. Butter a small 4-cup/960-ml ovenproof baking dish.
• Remove the crusts from the bread and cut into slices; you should have about 3 cups. Lay the slices across the baking dish, slightly overlapping and allowing some edges to hang over the sides.
• Whisk together the eggs and milk in a large bowl. Stir in half of the cheese and season with salt and pepper. Pour three-fourths of the egg mixture over the bread cubes.
• Peel the bottom half of the asparagus and break off the stem ends where it snaps naturally. Discard any woody stems.
• Layer the mortadella over the bread and top with asparagus spears. Pour the remaining egg mixture over the top and finish with the remaining cheese. At this point, you can bake the strata immediately, or cover with plastic wrap/cling film and refrigerate overnight for a surprise breakfast in bed.
• Bake the strata until just set, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool slightly, sprinkle the top with chopped chives, and serve in the baking dish.

HAM EGG AND CHEESE BREAKFAST STRATA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
• Arrange bread on a baking sheet; coat with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes, or until toasted, stirring halfway through.
• Spray an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
• In a large bowl, whisk together milk and next 6 ingredients (through eggs).
• In bottom of prepared baking dish, toss together toasted bread and diced ham. Pour egg mixture over top. Sprinkle with cheese.
• Bake uncovered at 375°F (190°C) for 25 minutes, or until strata is puffed around the edges and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Note: This casserole can be made in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator overnight until ready to bake.

OVERNIGHT WINE AND CHEESE STRATA

Steps:

• Cut off and discard crusty ends of bread. Tear rest of loaf into bite size chunks. Arrange bread snugly in a heavily greased 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish. Set aside.
• Cook mushrooms, 1 ½ teaspoons fresh oregano, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in butter in a large skillet over medium high heat, stirring constantly, until mushrooms are tender. Sprinkle mushroom mixture over bread. Pour white wine over mushroom mixture. Sprinkle with ham and next 3 ingredients.
• Combine eggs and next 4 ingredients. Beat with a wire whisk until blended. Pour egg mixture over layers in dish. Cover and chill 8 hours.
• Bake strata, covered, at 350°F for 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from oven, and spread with sour cream. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Broil 4 inches from heat with electric oven door partially opened 2 to 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Garnish, if desired. Serve hot. 8 servings.
• NOTE: If you'd like to omit the wine in this rich brunch dish, substitute 2/3 cup milk.
• SouthernLiving Our Best Five Star Recipes.

OVERNIGHT SAUSAGE STRATA

Steps:

• Place bread cubes in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Drizzle with butter. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, milk, mustard, Italian seasoning and pepper; mix well. Pour over bread. Crumble sausage over top; sprinkle with cheese. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight., Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 45-55 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

SAUSAGE CHEESE STRATA

Steps:

• Grease a 13x9 pan and set aside.
• In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium high heat until no pink remains. Remove sausage to a plate. Drain fat from pan, leaving about 1/2 tablespoon.
• Add diced onions to skillet and saute for about 5 minutes until translucent. Return sausage to skillet and stir into onions for a minute or two. Remove from heat.
• In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk, dijon, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Whisk until well combined. Stir in cheese to egg mixture.
• Add bread cubes to prepared pan. Evenly spread sausage mixture over bread crumbs. Pour egg mixture over the entire dish.
• Cover and place in fridge overnight or for a minimum of 8 hours.
• When ready to make, remove dish from fridge and let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 40-50 minutes, uncovered, until the eggs are set and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before cutting.

HOW TO MAKE A STRATA

Steps:

• Grease a 9x13 pan. Chop bacon into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Cook until crispy. Set aside on paper towels and pat to remove excess grease. Pour all but a couple of tablespoons of the bacon grease out of the pan. Cook shallots in remaining fat until softened. Set aside. Whisk eggs for 1-2 minutes. Whisk in milk, mustard, salt, and pepper. Stir in reserved bacon, shallots, cheese, and parsley. Fold in the torn bread. Pour into the prepared pan and cover with foil. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, up to 24. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Bake strata for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until golden, puffed, and set in the center. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. (The strata will deflate as is rests.) Scoop portions with a large spoon rather than trying to cut into squares.