Central Market's breakfast strata for holidays
This is a delicious dish! Don't think it's just for breakfast - it's great for any meal. Chef extraordinaire Mary Martini at Central Market's Cooking School gave me this recipe. You can use whatever combination of ingredients you like, and you can make it ahead of time and pop it in the oven the day you want to serve it. Enjoy!
- 1 c milk
- 2 T olive oil
- 6 c Bread: cut into 1-inch bread cubes (sourdough or any firm bread)
- 1 c heavy cream can substitute half & half
- 4 eggs beaten
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 2 T Assorted herbs (parsley dill, thyme, tarragon or any you prefer)
- 12 oz or more Grated cheese (goat cheese blue cheese, cheddar cheese, or any cheese you prefer or a combination)
- 12 oz Ham (or turkey chicken, Prosciutto, smoked salmon or any type of protein you prefer), cubed|
- 12 oz Artichoke hearts cooked spinach, roasted red peppers or any cooked vegetables you prefer
- 1 c Parmesan cheese grated (optional)
Preheat your oven to 350-degrees. Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish. Whisk the milk and oil in a bowl. Add the bread cubes and let sit for about ten minutes.
Whisk the cream and eggs together. Season with salt & pepper. Place half of the soaked bread cubes on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with half of the ham is using, half of the vegetables, half of the herbs and half of the cheese. Pour half of the cream mixture over. Repeat layering with the remaining bread, ham, vegetables, herbs and cheese. Pour the remaining cream over the dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if using. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, bring the strata to room temperature (about 45 minutes out of the refrigerator) Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes to 1 hour or until golden brown and the strata puffs.
This strata is perfect for the holidays or anytime you want to have something prepared ahead. You can use any ingredients you prefer for this strata. Make it with all vegetables if you prefer. It’s very versatile.
Keyword breakfast, Central Market, Holidays