Peppy Egg Strata Food

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.

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!

ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND PEPPER STRATA

Steps:

• Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up any clumps with a wooden spoon, until brown, about 5 minutes; transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Add the bell peppers to the skillet with 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4 minutes. Set aside.
• Whisk together the half-and-half, Parmesan, parsley, eggs, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper in a medium bowl.
• Layer half of the bread cubes in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups of the mozzarella, followed by the sausage and peppers. Cover with the remaining bread cubes and pour the custard evenly over the top. Cover with plastic wrap and let soak at room temperature 30 minutes to 1 hour. (To make ahead, after adding the custard, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight and then let the strata sit at room temperature while the oven preheats.)
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Remove the plastic and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella. Bake until slightly puffed and no longer jiggly in the center, 40 to 50 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

PESTO EGG PUFF PASTRY SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Heat the butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Beat 6 of the eggs together in a bowl. When the butter has melted, add the beaten eggs, spinach and pesto, along with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Scramble the eggs until cooked through, about 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and fold in the fontina.
• Beat together the remaining egg and a splash of cold water in a small bowl to make an egg wash. Set aside.
• Lay out the two sheets of puff pastry and roll them into 9-by-10-inch rectangles. Cut each into six 3-by-5-inch rectangles. Divide the egg mixture among six of the puff pastry rectangles, leaving a 1-centimeter border around the edges. Fold the ham and place it on top of the eggs. Brush the borders with the egg wash and top each with another puff pastry rectangle. Using a fork, crimp the edges to seal. Transfer to a baking sheet. Brush the tops with the egg wash and sprinkle with the everything seasoning. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.
• Serve hot or cold and enjoy.

PEPPY EGG STRATA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Butter 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking dish.
• Spread dish with nonstick vegetable spray.
• Line dish with bread slices.
• Layer Monterey Jack, Cheddar and bacon.
• In large bowl, beat eggs.
• Add milk, salt and pepper; beat until blended well.
• Pour over cheese-bacon mixture in dish.
• Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.

BRIE AND EGG STRATA

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add onion, potato, and bell pepper; saute 4 minutes or until tender.
• Stir in tomatoes; saute 2 minutes, stir in 1/2 teaspoons salt.
• Combine onion mixture and bread.
• Place half of bread mixture into a 13x9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with half of Brie.
• Top with remaining bread mixture and remaining Brie.
• Put egg substitue and eggs in a medium bowl.
• Add remaining 1/2 teaspoons salt, herbes de Provence, and pepper.
• Add milk, stirring with a whisk until well blended.
• Pour egg mixture over the bread.
• Let stand 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350.
• Bake for 50 minutes or until set. Sprinkle with parsley.
• Serve immediately.
• OVERNIGHT INSTRUCTIONS.
• **The night before, assemble and layer the casserole without the egg mixture (steps one and two); cover and refrigerate.
• Combine the egg mixture (step three), and refrigerate in a separate container.
• In the morning, pour the egg mixture over the bread mixture; allow the strata to stand for 30 minutes before baking.

MAKE-AHEAD CHEESY SPINACH AND EGG STRATA

Steps:

• Squeeze out as much of the moisture as possible from the spinach, then chop finely.
• Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Add in the fresh mushrooms and saute for about 10-12 minutes, or until they loose their moisture completely; remove to a bowl.
• Add in onion with nutmeg, salt and cayenne and saute for 5 minutes (adding in the garlic the last few minutes) then stir in the chopped spinach; saute for 2 minutes.
• Transfer the mixture to the bowl with the mushrooms; mix to combine slightly.
• Butter a 4-quart casserole dish.
• Spread 1/3 of the cubed bread into the prepared baking dish.
• Top with 1/3 of the spinach/mushroom mixture.
• Sprinkle with 1/3 of BOTH cheeses.
• Repeat layering twice (ending with the cheeses).
• In a bowl whisk together half and half, milk, eggs, mustard.
• Pour the milk mixture evenly over the strata in the baking dish.
• Cover with plastic and chill for about 8 hours or up to 24 hours or until the bread is absorbed in the milk.
• When ready to bake, let the dish stay out at room temperature for about 40 minutes before baking.
• Set oven to 350°F (second-lowest oven rack).
• Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown.
• Delicious!