Mushroom Swiss Thyme Breakfast Strata With Optional Bacon Recipes

MUSHROOM, BACON, AND SWISS STRATA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Arrange bread in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until toasted. Place bread cubes in a large bowl.
• Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and mushrooms to pan; sauté 10 minutes or until liquid evaporates and vegetables are tender. Add onion mixture to bread; toss well to combine. Arrange half of bread mixture in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with half of cheese and half of bacon; top with remaining bread mixture, cheese, and bacon.
• Combine milk and next 4 ingredients (through salt), stirring with a whisk. Pour milk mixture over bread mixture. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Remove strata from refrigerator; let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Bake strata, covered, at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until set. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.

MUSHROOM BACON & CHEDDAR STRATA

Steps:

• Arrange bread cubes on baking sheet in a single layer. Bake at 350 deg. F for 20 minutes, or till toasted. Place bread cubes in large bowl.
• Melt butter in large skillet over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and onions; saute 10 minutes or till liquid evaporates and veggies are tender.
• Toss onion mixture with bread cubes.
• Combine remaining ingredients in bowl; whisk till well mixed.
• To assemble the strata, arrange half the bread cube mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with half the cheese and bacon. Top with remaining bread, then the remaining cheese and bacon. Pour egg mixture over layers.
• Cover strata tightly with tinfoil and refrigerate overnight.
• Bake strata, still covered, at 350°F for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake another 15 minutes, till top is nicely browned and eggs are set.
• Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

HOLIDAY BREAKFAST STRATA WITH SAUSAGE (OR NOT)

Steps:

• In a medium saute pan, heat the olive oil and saute the onion, green pepper, and mushrooms until soft, about 7-8 minutes. Set aside.
• If using sausage, brown it in a medium saute pan and drain.
• If using veggie sausage, heat it in the microwave for a minute or so and crumble.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, half and half, salt, and pepper.
• Spray two approximately 4" x 8'' baking pans/casserole dishes with non-stick cooking spray.
• Layer two slices of the bread in the bottom of each pan.
• Sprinkle 1/4 of the veggies over the bread in each pan.
• Spread half the crumbled sausage over the sausage version.
• Sprinkle on 1/4 of the cheese over each.
• Pour about 1/2 cup of the egg mixture over the top.
• Add a layer of the remaining bread, two more slices each, then veggies, then sausage over the sausage side, then cheese.
• Pour the rest of the egg mixture evenly over the top of each.
• Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight, or for at least three hours.
• In the morning, uncover and bake at 325 degrees for about 40 - 50 minutes, until set.

MUSHROOM, SWISS, & THYME BREAKFAST STRATA WITH OPTIONAL BACON

Steps:

• In a medium saute pan, heat the olive oil and saute the onion and mushrooms until soft, about 5 - 6 minutes. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, thyme, salt, and pepper until well-beaten.
• Spray an 8-inch x 8-inch x at least 2-inch deep baking pan/casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray (or grease with butter).
• Lay four bread slices on the bottom of the pan.
• Sprinkle bread with 1/2 of the sauteed vegetables.
• Add 1/2 of the cheese.
• Pour half of the egg mixture over the top.
• Add the remaining four slices of bread in a single layer, then the veggies, then the cheese. Pour the remaining egg mixture over the top.
• Cover tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight, or for at least three hours.
• In the morning, uncover and bake at 325 degrees for about 50 minutes, until the strata is set (it will no longer jiggle in the middle).
• Let cool for about 10 minutes, then serve.