Brunch Strata
(Brunch Bread Pudding)
*****
Serves 6-10
Similar
to Winnifred Jardine’s Strata recipe, but much richer.
Strata
is a dish that falls somewhere between a family size omelet and a crustless
quiche. It all starts with good
bread. There are many variations of
strata, depending on the cheeses you use, the meat (ground ham, sausage (links
or ground), and spices.
Refrigerating
overnight makes the strata more custard-like.
½ lb best quality
Italian sausage, breakfast sausage OR turkey sausage
½ C minced onion
¼ C minced green
pepper
1/3 C sliced green
onions
1/3 C white cooking
wine
8 C 1-inch cubes
day-old French bread—anything heavy & crusty
2 ½ C milk
½ C heavy cream, or
milk
¼ C melted butter
8 large eggs
½ lb Pepper Jack
cheese, grated
½ lb Monterey Jack
cheese, grated
¾ C tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly
ground pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne
pepper (optional)
½ C grated Parmesan
cheese
- Cook sausage over med-high
heat. Cook until golden brown and
fat is rendered, about 5 minutes.
Add onions and bell peppers and sauté until soft, 3 minutes. Add green onions and stir well. Add white wine and reduce slightly,
stirring, about 1 minute over high heat.
Remove from heat.
- Place bread in large
mixing bowl. Combine milk and cream
in pitcher, pour over bread and toss gently to coat bread cubes. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- Pour some of the melted
mutter into a 9x13-inch casserole dish, and coat bottom evenly. Pour any extra butter into the bread
mixture.
- Add sausage to bread
mixture and toss. Add eggs, grated
cheeses (except Parmesan), salt, black pepper, and cayenne, and quickly
fold together. Cover with foil and
refrigerate overnight.
- 1 ½ hours before serving:
- Preheat oven to 325
- Leave aluminum foil on
casserole. Bake for 1 hour.
- Increase oven temperature
to 375
- Uncover casserole and
sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes
more.
*Gwen got this recipe from Tammy Aglaure, who got it from Emeril’s Potluck cookbook.
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