Regarding entertainment for Easter (or any day really holiday,) key to smooth day prep -of fact many dishes that can be prepared in advance as possible. For the 1st anniversary Brunch Hugo, where my menu mainly consisted of Savory Egg-Bakes like this and Cinnamon Rolls, I prepped all of yesterday, have left them in the refrigerator overnight and just oven just before the party time. I plan to make this delicious dish Brunchy when I'm in Wisconsin for Easter, because it is easy, very difficult to mess up, and can be done up to 24 hours before you plan to serve. Perfect right?
If you have not that- a Strata is basically a savory bread pudding. bread cubes are soaked in eggs, milk, and whatever mix-ins you like. I have 3 different varieties for the party of Hugo, and once you get the hang of it, you can really add "a bit of this little bit of that" as the consistency is right. I made sure to keep track of exactly what was happening in it for those who like to follow specific recipes, but feel free to play with it to make it your own. Vegetarian? nix bacon and caramelized under or roasted red peppers onions. Any type of cheese will do, as long as you add enough egg and milk to keep cubes of bread coated moistened- and you will have a spectacular crispy dish of cheese eggs ready to go when your company arrives. (Or just you and your family for a weekend getaway!)
- 1 loaf of crusty bread, cut into cubes. (I used French bread!)
- 12 oz bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped *
- 9eggs
- 3½ cups of milk
- 6 oz grated cheese (I used cheddar)
- in a large bowl, whisk together 8 eggs, 3 cups of milk and a little salt and pepper.
- In a 8x8 pan, layer half of the bread cubes in the background, scatter half bacon, half the jalapeno and half the cheese on the bread and use your hands to make sure it is evenly distributed.
- Pour half of the egg mixture / milk over the bread and let soak in a spoon to create nooks and crannies if necessary and pressing with back of spoon.
- Top with remaining bread, bacon and peppers. Add the remaining egg, repeating the previous step, allowing it to penetrate all the bread and press down if necessary to make sure it is coated. Top with remaining cheese.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 24 hours, but at least 8. (I think 12 hours is a balance, but tried less ore more time.)
- If, after the dish has cooled refrigerator up seems a bit dry, whisk together the remaining egg and ½ cup of milk, add a little salt and pepper and pour it on top of the dish.
- Bake at 375F for about an hour, or until the top is crisp and super puffy.