Monday, June 30, 2008

Breakfast Again

I am one of those firm believers that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
I am also a firm believer of eggs. I love eggs!!! Yes I know they are high in cholesterol, but EggBeaters are the next best thing. (Plus you don't have the mess of trying to separate eggs from egg whites)

I saw this recipe on FoodandWine.com
Ham and Cheese Strata
ACTIVE TIME: 10 MIN TOTAL TIME: 30 MIN SERVES: 4
For this rich, tasty main course, soak the bread in the egg mixture while you cut up the other ingredients.
ingredients
8 large eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 cups Italian bread cubes (1 inch)
6 ounces Virginia ham, cut into 1/2-inch dice (1 1/2 cups)
6 ounces Gouda cheese, cut into 3/4-inch dice (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes, drained
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon snipped chives
1 cup coarsely grated Cheddar cheese (about 4 ounces)
directions
Preheat the oven to 450°. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk, salt and pepper. Stir in the bread until evenly moistened, then stir in the ham, Gouda cheese, sun-dried tomatoes and 1/4 cup of the chives.
Butter a 9-by-12-inch baking dish and pour in the strata mixture. Sprinkle the Cheddar cheese on top. Bake for about 20 minutes, until puffed and golden. Let cool slightly, sprinkle with the remaining chives and serve.

I had to make some changes, as I didn't have everything on hand. I used 1 pint of egg beaters in place of the 8 eggs. I did not have Gouda cheese, so I used cheddar & mozz. I also didn't have any sun-dried tomatoes, but that would have been delicious!

I typically make a strata by letting it sit overnight in the fridge. Sometimes I find that there are spots in it, after cooking, that are gooey. This strata was very crisp. I will continue to use this recipe as a base & change up the meat, veggies & cheese.

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