Savory Strata Bread Pudding Food

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST BREAKFAST STRATA

Steps:

• Use a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• Cut the stale bread in cubes and place it on the baking dish.
• Add shredded cheese, but keep a handful of cheese to sprinkle on top of the dish before you bake it.
• Add meat and vegetables.
• Separately, beat the eggs and add milk or sour cream(according to your preference). Add salt and pepper to your taste.
• Mix well and pour over the bread.
• Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top and cover with foil.
• Place the dish in the refrigerator overnight.
• Next morning, preheat oven at 350F.
• Bring the dish to room temperature for about 30 minutes.
• Bake the strata for 40-45 minutes if you added milk and 35 minutes if you made it with sour cream.(See the notes on the blog about that).
• Check the temperature of the strata in the middle. It should be 160F. The dish is ready when it does not giggle in the middle when shaken. The color should be golden brown.
• Remove from the oven and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

FRENCH ONION STRATA (SAVORY BREAD PUDDING) RECIPE

Steps:

• For the Caramelized Onions: In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat, then add onions, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook, stirring every few minutes, until onions have softened, about 10 minutes. Remove lid and cook, stirring frequently and keeping skillet uncovered, until onions are deep golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes; if onions threaten to burn at any point, stir in a tablespoon or two of water as needed, and/or lower heat. Add garlic and thyme and cook 1 minute longer. Add sherry and wine and cook until liquid has almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Meanwhile, for the Strata: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spread bread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until bread is dry but not browned, about 8 minutes.
• In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, half and half or milk, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, fish sauce (if using), 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Add dried bread and let soak in custard for at least 15 minutes and up to 30 minutes.
• Butter a 12-inch cast iron skillet or a 9- by 13-inch baking dish and add half of bread. Scatter half of caramelized onions and half of cheese all over. Layer remaining bread on top and scatter remaining onions and cheese over. Drizzle any remaining custard all over, then bake until bread is crisp and custard is just set, about 35 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature. This Recipe Appears In Turn French Onion Soup Into a Strata for an Easy Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner

SAVORY STRATA (BREAD PUDDING)

Steps:

• Rub olive oil on the peppers and roast them at 350 degrees for about a half hour, until they are soft and have started to color. When they are cool, slice into strips, discarding the seeds and stem. Set aside.
• Cook bacon (preferably in the microwave, between layers of papertowel). Do not overcook. The bacon should not be brittle. When cool, chop into medium sized pieces. Set aside.
• Melt half the butter, and cook the sliced mushrooms about ten minutes, until they give up their liquid. Set aside.
• Melt the rest of the butter and slowly cook the onions and garlic until they are translucent and soft. Set aside.
• This will work best with a good quality, crusty bread. Cut it into slices about an inch thick. If it's not stale, lightly toast the slices.
• Butter the bottom of a large casserole. First put down one layer of bread (break up as necessary), and then layer the following in a way that appeals to you: cheese, peppers, bacon, onions, mushrooms. You should have enough for three full layers of each ingredient, but if you don't, it doesn't matter.
• Beat the eggs with the milk, half and half, salt and pepper to taste, and the tarragon. Some people prefer basil, but I like the contrast of the tarragon to the cheese.
• Slowly pour this mixture over the layered casserole. You have to give the layers of bread time to soak up the mixture, so don't rush this. When you're finished, a finger pressed into the top should cause liquid to bubble up. If that doesn't happen, add more milk or half and half.
• Cover with a layer of grated cheese.
• Baked covered casserole in a 375 oven for about forty-five minutes. Take the lid off the casserole and bake for another twenty minutes until pressing the flat of a spoon into the top of the casserole does not cause liquid to well up. It's done when the top is crispy and browned.
• Let this sit for twenty minutes to half an hour before serving. It will be very, very hot.
• I serve this with a green salad and fruit.

BREAKFAST STRATA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325˚F.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Fold in the croutons and semihard and semisoft cheeses and set aside.
• In a small skillet, sauté the prosciutto until golden and crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove the prosciutto from the skillet and let it cool on a plate lined with paper towels. Pour the drippings that remain in the skillet into a 9 × 13-inch baking dish, using a spatula to spread the oil until the dish is lightly coated.
• Add the cooled prosciutto and the green onions and sun-dried tomatoes to the crouton mixture. Gently fold the ingredients until they are evenly distributed. Spoon the mixture into the baking dish and pat it down. (The croutons should form a bumpy surface.) Top with the Parmesan.
• Bake for 35 minutes, rotating the pan after 20 minutes. Bake until the top of the dish is very brown and the middle is springy. Let the strata cool for 10 minutes before serving.
• The strata tastes best the day it is prepared; otherwise, the croutons become soggy.