Seafood Strata With Pesto

BASIL BREAKFAST STRATA

Steps:

• Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In large bowl, beat eggs with wire whisk until foamy. Beat in milk until blended; beat in salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Place bread cubes in baking dish. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Pour egg mixture over top, pressing lightly to moisten bread. Using spoon, swirl pesto through mixture. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 8 hours but no longer than 24 hours.
• Heat oven to 350°F. Remove plastic wrap; bake uncovered 40 to 45 minutes or until strata is puffed and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Cut into squares.

PROSCIUTTO-PESTO BREAKFAST STRATA

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl, combine milk and wine. Dip both sides of bread in milk mixture; squeeze gently to remove excess liquid. Layer bread slices in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish., Sprinkle with basil and parsley; drizzle with oil. Layer with half of the cheese, half of the prosciutto and all of the tomatoes; drizzle with half of the pesto. Top with remaining cheese, prosciutto and pesto., In a small bowl, whisk eggs, cream, salt and pepper until blended; pour over top. Refrigerate, covered, several hours or overnight., Preheat oven to 350°. Remove strata from refrigerator while oven heats. Bake, uncovered, until top is golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 50-60 minutes. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.

PESTO CHICKEN STRATA

Steps:

• Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 6-8 minutes or until no longer pink. Drain., In a large bowl, mix basil, 1 cup Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, pine nuts and garlic. In another bowl, whisk eggs, milk and remaining oil, salt and pepper., In a greased 13x9-in. baking dish, layer half of the bread cubes, a third of the cheese mixture and half of the chicken. Repeat layers. Top with remaining cheese mixture. Pour egg mixture over top; sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Refrigerate, covered, several hours or overnight., Preheat oven to 350°. Remove strata from refrigerator while oven heats. Bake, uncovered, 40-50 minutes or until golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with additional basil.

SEAFOOD STRATA WITH PESTO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Cut each slice of bread into 4 triangles. Place them on a baking sheet, and bake for about 10 minutes, or until toasted. Allow to cool, then spread pesto onto one side of each piece of bread. Set aside.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms; cook and stir until all of the liquid has evaporated. Add the onions; cook and stir for a couple of minutes, then pour in the sherry. Simmer for 1 minute.
• Place half of the bread triangles into a greased 9x13 inch baking dish with the pesto side facing up. Sprinkle half of the cheese over the bread. Spread the shrimp and crabmeat over the cheese. Top with the mushroom and onion mixture, then sprinkle all but 1/2 cup of the remaining cheese over the mushrooms. Cover with the other half of the bread so that the pesto side is facing down. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, salt, and cayenne pepper. Pour over the entire casserole. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 and up to 24 hours. Remove from the refrigerator for one hour before baking.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine the 1 cup of reserved cheese with the panko crumbs in a plastic bag. Shake to blend, and sprinkle over the top of the casserole.
• Bake uncovered for 55 to 60 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh tomato and basil or chives.

SARASOTA'S SPINACH AND SHRIMP STRATA

Steps:

• Base -- Spray a 13x9" pan with Pam or a non stick spray. Arrange the slices of bread on the bottom, and make sure to cover the entire bottom. Cut smaller pieces to fill in the empty spaces.
• Strata -- Spread the pesto over the bread making sure to coat everything, and then cover with 1/2 the cheese, 1 cup. Layer with the shrimp, spinach, red peppers, onion and finish with the remaining 1 cup of the cheese.
• Egg -- Mix the eggs, milk, salt and pepper well and pour over the casserole. Cover with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate over night. Eight (8) hours is required, but don't let it cover over 12 hours.
• Bake -- Remove from the refrigerator and let it warm up a bit so It isn't ice cold. Cover with foil if not already and bake in a 350 degree oven, middle rack for 30 minutes. Remove and arrange the tomatoes slices on the casserole and continue to bake covered for another 15-20 minutes (45 min) is the right time for my oven, but just check by inserting a knife in the center. When it comes out clean it is done.
• If you want - you can put the dish under the broiler for just 3-4 minutes to broil the tomatoes, but I don't mind if they aren't browned. It is a nice texture to me to have the fresh tomatoes on the top.
• Serve -- Make sure to let the strata set 15 minutes before serving. ENJOY!
• Prep time includes the overnight rest.

CALIFORNIA SEAFOOD MAKE AHEAD BRUNCH BAKE

Steps:

• Grease a 9x13" casserole and set aside.
• melt butter and saute mushrooms and onions until tender, stirring frequently.
• Add shrimp and cook until pink, stirring often.
• SPread 3 slices of the bread with the pesto sauce, then top each with another bread slice, pressing together so thick stick.
• Cut pesto sandwiches into small cubes and layer half of them in the bottom of the baking dish.
• Sprinkle half of the cheese on top, then pour all of the mushrooms on top, then the crabmeat and the artichokes.
• Top with remaining bread cubes, then sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.
• Beat eggs, add milk, salt, and cayene pepper; beat well.
• Pour wet mixture over the bread mixture, covering evenly.
• You may need to poke some some parts of the bread to get them wet- you want everything to be moistened with the egg mixture.
• Cover and chill overnight (or at least 8 hours).
• Heat oven to 350 F, remove cover, and bake casserole for about 35-40 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Let rest 5 miutes before slicing to firm up and cool slightly.
• Cut into 12 squares.

SEAFOOD STRATA WITH PESTO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Cut each slice of bread into 4 triangles. Place them on a baking sheet, and bake for about 10 minutes, or until toasted. Allow to cool, then spread pesto onto one side of each piece of bread. Set aside.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms; cook and stir until all of the liquid has evaporated. Add the onions; cook and stir for a couple of minutes, then pour in the sherry. Simmer for 1 minute.
• Place half of the bread triangles into a greased 9x13 inch baking dish with the pesto side facing up. Sprinkle half of the cheese over the bread. Spread the shrimp and crabmeat over the cheese. Top with the mushroom and onion mixture, then sprinkle all but 1/2 cup of the remaining cheese over the mushrooms. Cover with the other half of the bread so that the pesto side is facing down. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, salt, and cayenne pepper. Pour over the entire casserole. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 and up to 24 hours. Remove from the refrigerator for one hour before baking.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine the 1 cup of reserved cheese with the panko crumbs in a plastic bag. Shake to blend, and sprinkle over the top of the casserole.
• Bake uncovered for 55 to 60 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh tomato and basil or chives.