You’re not trying to toast them, just dry them out a bit.Īre you serving a crowd on Christmas morning or will your breakfast be a little more intimate? There’s a simple way to scale your strata to whatever size you need. Do this by spreading the cubes on a baking sheet and placing in a 250°f oven for about 10-15 minutes. You’ll want to slightly dry out the bread.Any items that will be cooked before being added (bacon, sausage, mushrooms, asparagus, etc) need to be cool when you add them.Goat cheese, feta, cheddar and swiss are also wonderful when paired with a more creamy cheese. Monterey jack, mozzarella, provolone, gruyere are all excellent. Use at least one variety of cheese that’s creamy and melts really well.This makes it easier to have everything evenly dispersed AND it’s easier to serve and to eat. Whatever you choose to flavor your strata you’ll want to keep a few things in mind: Get creative and make it your own! Prep Your Ingredients Other great additions could be: sautéed mushrooms, caramelized onions, bite size pieces of blanched broccoli, crumbled, cooked sausage, cubed ham…I could go on, but you get the idea. Quartered marinated artichoke hearts in place of the asparagus is also SO good here! If you’re serving more “open” palates one of my very favorite red and green combos is blanched asparagus, Divina roasted tomatoes and prosciutto with provolone and crumbled goat cheese. The spinach and peppers go over well even with the non-veggie lovers in our house. Up to you!įor this post I wanted a strata that looked Christmasy so I used red and green add-ins: spinach, bacon and roasted peppers and a combination of cheddar and mozzarella cheese. You can plan something specific beforehand or rummage through your refrigerator gathering up those odds and ends for a little strata improv. There are so many flavor possibilities when making strata and, really, that’s the beauty of it. You know your audience and you can easily customize this casserole to please them all. What we all agree on, however, is bacon and cheese. In my household we have those who LOVE vegetables (the more the better please!), those who have limited veggie-acceptance and those (you know who you are) who will (with a scrunched up nose and look of utter disgust) take the tiniest, nearly microscopic taste IF parental figures insist. The beauty of this casserole is how flexible it is- you can use pretty much any size or shape pan and your flavor options are endless! Choosing Your Add-InsĮveryone has different likes and dislikes and that can be a challenge when deciding what to make AND trying to please everyone. In about an hour you’ll be cutting through it’s golden, crunchy top to reveal the deliciously soft, fluffy, cheesy interior. Everything can be assembled the night before, so that in the morning all you need to do is pop it in the oven and wait. Bread is layered with eggs, milk, cheese and a variety of add-ins. Stratas are basically a savory bread pudding. That’s why I love all things that can be done ahead of time! And this breakfast strata is the perfect make-ahead breakfast! What IS a Strata? I’m more interested in being present with my family and friends than being in another room focused on putting a meal together. So, while most of the time I savor my kitchen therapy, I tend to feel a little differently about it on the holidays. Of course all of those blessings need to be fed! And, being the holidays, you want to serve something special. You know that feeling… a full house, a colorful tangle of wrapping paper and ribbons on the floor, the happy chaos that goes along with it all? On Christmas morning I want to hang out with my people in comfy jammies, sipping a cup of coffee and soaking up as much family time as possible. It’s a delicious, make-ahead breakfast casserole that your family is going to love! Give Yourself The Gift of Being Present And lots of bacon, spinach, roasted peppers and CHEESE. There’s so much to love about this Christmas Morning Strata! The crunchy, golden top.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |