A make-ahead recipe that will wow your family come Easter morning? Yes please.
Courtesy of the Egg Farmers of Ontario, this egg strata is perfect for Easter brunch. You can make it a day ahead, which simplifies preparation and gives you more time to spend with the family…or hunt for Easter Eggs.
And, it’s terribly easy to customize depending on your nutritional preferences: substitute whole wheat bread for white, use reduced-fat cheddar cheese, and/or use low sodium shaved ham. Enjoy!
Serving: 8 Servings
Prep. Time: 30-40 minutes
Cooking Time: 1-1¼ hours
INGREDIENTS
1 loaf (about 520 g) sliced white bread (about 16 slices, discard ends)
½ lb (250 g) thinly sliced or shaved ham
2 cups (500 mL) shredded Cheddar cheese
6 eggs
¼ cup (50 mL) finely chopped onion
¼ cup (50 mL) finely chopped green pepper
½ tsp (2 mL) dry mustard
½ tsp (2 mL) black pepper
½ tsp (2 mL) Worcestershire sauce
Dash Tabasco
3 cups (750 mL) milk
2 tbsp (30 mL) butter or margarine, melted
DIRECTIONS
Trim crusts from bread; reserve crusts. Cover bottom of greased 13 x 9-inch (33 x 23 cm) baking dish with slices of bread, trimming to fit if necessary. Cover with ham, then cheese. Top with another layer of bread.
Whisk eggs. Add onion, green pepper, dry mustard, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco; whisk to combine. Whisk in milk. Pour mixture over bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Meanwhile, pulse reserved crusts in food processor until coarsely chopped. Set aside 1-1/2 cups (375 mL) of the bread crumbs. (Remainder can be frozen for another use.)
The next day, stir melted butter into bread crumbs until moistened. Sprinkle buttered crumbs over top of casserole.
Bake in a preheated 350°F (180°F) oven until puffed, set and golden brown, about 1 to 1-1/4 hours.
