Then, instead of getting a chunk of ham and cheese, you get the perfect little stripe of each in almost every bite. And finally, my favorite part about this strata? The paper thin slices of provolone cheese and ham that are gently tucked into the crevices and crannies on top.
#Ham and cheese strata full#
I also like a good full teaspoon of dry mustard in my strata, which I think comes from a well-loved family recipe. Next I used sauteed mushrooms and spinach, which offer the perfect balance of savoriness and health. Beat the soup, milk, eggs and mustard in a medium bowl with a fork or whisk. They have the perfect sponge-y texture to soak up the eggs, which is a really good thing. While the oven is heating, stir the stuffing, cheese, asparagus and ham in a greased 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Instead of croissants, this strata starts with English muffins. It was glorious! This strata is that strata’s lighter yet no less delicious cousin. Their strata was made from day-old ham and cheese croissants (!), cream, whole milk, and was about 3 inches tall. I first had strata at a bakery I worked at in college, and, much like almost everything I ate from that place, it was love at first bite. Strata is essentially a breakfast casserole or a savory bread pudding, but strata sounds about a million times fancier than casserole. If I ever did get to a point in my life where I could, or even wanted to, host brunch, this strata would be the highlight of the menu. Refrigerate the strata for at least 2 hours or up to overnight. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the contents in the baking dish. In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, milk, and melted butter. Hosting breakfast… now that I could get behind! Repeat the layers with the remaining bread, Monterey Jack, cheddar, and ham.
Even if I didn’t have the cutest 8 month old nugget hindering my brunch dreams with his 6 am wake-up call, I need food way before the brunch hour finally moseys in. Do real people actually host brunch? I’m almost convinced hosting brunch is an invention of social media to make us all feel bad that we’re not having an intimate group of friends over for bloody marys (which I don’t drink) and fancy bagels with lox and capers (which I don’t like). Pour the egg mixture over and refrigerate overnight.I’m not the kind of person who hosts brunch. Just layer the ingredients in a 9×13 casserole dish. We had it for dinner because it happened to time out that way. It could totally be breakfast, brunch, or dinner. Hey. I didn’t used to cook either and look at me now! This Chili and Cheese Ham Strata is layered with sourdough bread (love), ham, cheese, eggs, green chilies, and a bit of cilantro. Your mother’s intuition, which may seem non-existent, will kick in. I know I have friends that are terrified to have kids because they don’t know what kind of mom they’ll be. So what I’m telling you is, there’s hope. And something inside of me woke up and immediately felt so much love not only for my own children, but for ALL children. No, not always.īut then I got married and had my own kids. In my defense, I didn’t have younger siblings to learn the nurturing someone else thing. Since I have 5 kids now, people always ask me if I always wanted a big family. I was good with a little bit older kids but completely clueless when it came to babies. I wasn’t asking to hold people’s babies all the time. But he catches them and is good at it. ? I played catch with them, throwing them high in the air, but never sat and played house with them. And if you’ve ever been around my family you know that now my husband is the one throwing the babies. It made me wonder if some of us are born with maternal instincts and some of us just aren’t?Īs a little girl I was on the complete opposite side of the spectrum. She lugs her dolls around everywhere in the backyard, in the car, and in her bed.
She was caressing her hair and giving it hugs. I was watching my barely 1-year-old play with her baby doll. Great for company because it’s assembled the night before. This is great for breakfast, brunch, or even dinner. Chili and Ham Breakfast Strata – layered with sourdough, cheddar and ham.