Slow Cooker Cheesy Ham Strata Food

CHEESY HAM AND MUSHROOM STRATA

Steps:

• Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
• Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Whisk the half-and-half, Parmesan and eggs, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a 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 cheese, followed by the cooked mushrooms and the ham. 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 cheese. Bake until slightly puffed and just no longer jiggly in the center, 40 to 50 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

HAM AND CHEDDAR STRATA

Steps:

• Spray a 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with the cooking spray. Peel and thinly slice the green onions; you will need about 1/2 cup. Trim crusts from the bread.
• Arrange 6 bread slices in baking dish. Layer the ham, cheese and onions on bread in dish. Cut remaining bread slices diagonally in half; arrange on onions.
• In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, milk, mustard and pepper sauce with a fork or wire whisk; pour evenly over bread. Cover with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate up to 24 hours.
• Heat the oven to 300°F. Uncover strata and sprinkle with paprika. Bake uncovered 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes or until center is set and bread is golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting into serving pieces.