Make Ahead Cheese Strata Recipes

HAM 'N' CHEESE STRATA

Steps:

• Arrange six slices of bread in the bottom of a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Top with ham and cheese. Cover with remaining bread. , In a bowl, beat eggs, milk, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, pepper and cayenne. Stir in onion and green pepper; pour over all. Cover and refrigerate overnight. , Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Pour butter over bread; sprinkle with cornflakes. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

SPINACH & CHEESE STRATA

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and drained spinach and cook 2 minutes more. Set aside.
• Butter a 3-quart or 9x13-inch baking dish. Spread one third of the bread cubes in the dish and top evenly with one third of spinach mixture. (Try to break it up as much as possible so there are no huge clumps of spinach.) Sprinkle with one third of each cheese. Repeat layering twice, ending with cheeses.
• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the half-and-half, mustard, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and whisk until well combined. Pour the custard mixture evenly over the strata. Cover the strata with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Bake the strata, uncovered, until puffed, set and golden brown all over top, 70-80 minutes. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes before serving. It will settle a bit as it cools.
• Note: The cook time is based on the strata going immediately from the fridge to the oven. If it sits out at room temperature before baking, the cook time will be about 10 minutes less.

CHEESE STRATA

Steps:

• Arrange half the bread in a buttered 2 1/2 quart baking dish or 8x8 pan.
• Drizzle half the melted butter over the bread.
• If adding veggies or meat layer those on next.
• Cover with the shredded cheese.
• Top with remaining bread and drizzle remaining butter over.
• In a small bowl, beat the milk, eggs and seasonings.
• Pour over the bread.
• Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 more minutes.
• Can be refrigerated unbaked up to 1 day.

MAKE-AHEAD PHILLY BEEF STRATA

Steps:

• Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish or 3-quart oval casserole with cooking spray. Spread 1/3 of the bread cubes in baking dish. Top evenly with 1/3 of the bell pepper and onion stir-fry and 1/3 of the beef. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat layers twice, ending with cheese.
• In large bowl, beat eggs. Stir in all remaining ingredients; pour evenly over cheese. Cover tightly with foil; refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.
• When ready to bake, heat oven to 350°F. Uncover baking dish; bake 40 to 50 minutes or until puffed, top is golden brown and center is set. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

FLUFFY STRATA RECIPE (OVERNIGHT BREAKFAST CASSEROLE)

Steps:

• Set out a large mixing bowl and a 9X13 inch (3 quart) baking dish. Grease the baking dish. Chop all necessary ingredients.
• In the mixing bowl, add the eggs, milk, salt, ground mustard, and garlic powder. Whisk well to break up all the yolks. Then stir in the cheeses, ham, scallions, and roasted red pepper.
• Tear the bread loaf into 1-2 inch chunks and place them in the baking dish.
• Pour the egg mixture over the top of the bread. Use a spatula to fold the bread over, gently, to make sure the ingredients are evenly distributed. Cover and chill until ready to bake.
• Let the strata recipe rest for at least one hour, so the bread soaks up all the eggs. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. (This is a fabulous make-ahead overnight recipe, so you can also preheat the oven in the morning.)
• Bake, uncovered, for 50-60 minutes, until the top is golden-brown and puffy in the center. Insert a sharp knife into the center to check that the eggs are set. If not, bake another 5-10 minutes. Then cool for 5 minutes before cutting. Serve warm!

MAKE-AHEAD HAM AND CHEESE STRATA

Steps:

• Using a doughnut cutter, cut 15 circles and holes from the bread; set aside. Tear leftover bread into small pieces and place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. , Sprinkle cheese and onion over bread. Layer with broccoli and ham. Arrange bread circles and holes over ham. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, milk, salt and mustard; pour over bread. Cover and chill 8 hours or overnight. , Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 50 minutes; sprinkle with paprika. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

HOW TO MAKE A STRATA

Steps:

• Grease a 9x13 pan. Chop bacon into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Cook until crispy. Set aside on paper towels and pat to remove excess grease. Pour all but a couple of tablespoons of the bacon grease out of the pan. Cook shallots in remaining fat until softened. Set aside. Whisk eggs for 1-2 minutes. Whisk in milk, mustard, salt, and pepper. Stir in reserved bacon, shallots, cheese, and parsley. Fold in the torn bread. Pour into the prepared pan and cover with foil. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, up to 24. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Bake strata for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until golden, puffed, and set in the center. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. (The strata will deflate as is rests.) Scoop portions with a large spoon rather than trying to cut into squares.

MAKE-AHEAD CHEESE STRATA

Steps:

• Toss together bread cubes and melted butter. Place half in a lightly greased 12 x 8 x 2 inch baking dish. Sprinkle half of cheese over bread cubes. Repeat procedure with remaining bread cubes and cheese.
• Combine remaining ingredients except celery leaves; beat well. Pour over cheese layers. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours or overnight.
• Uncover and bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 to 40 minutes.
• Garnish with celery leaves; serve warm.