Cheddar Cheese Strata Recipes

BROCCOLI AND CHEDDAR STRATA

Steps:

• Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
• Whisk the half-and-half, Parmesan, eggs, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper together in a large bowl.
• Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli florets and simmer until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes; drain.
• Layer half of the bread cubes in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups of the Cheddar, followed by the broccoli. Cover with the remaining bread cubes and pour the half-and-half mixture evenly over top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. (This can also be assembled the day of; just let soak at room temperature 30 minutes to 1 hour before baking.)
• On the day of baking, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Let the strata sit at room temperature while the oven preheats. Remove the plastic and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup Cheddar. Bake until slightly puffed and just no longer jiggly in the center, 40 to 50 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

CHEDDAR CHEESE AND RED BELL PEPPER STRATA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper to skillet and sauté until just tender, about 4 minutes. Mix in green onions; sauté 1 minute longer. Remove from heat.
• Spread 1 1/2 tablespoons butter thinly on bread. Cut bread into 1/2-inch pieces. Layer half of bread in 8 x 8 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Cover with half of cheese, then half of bell pepper mixture. Repeat layering with bread, cheese and bell pepper mixture. Beat milk, eggs, Dijon mustard, dry mustard, salt and pepper in medium bowl to blend. Pour over strata.
• Bake strata until lightly browned on top and set in center, about 45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes; cut into squares.

SPINACH AND CHEDDAR STRATA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add spinach and cook, stirring constantly, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a colander and drain, pressing with a rubber spatula to release as much liquid as possible. Divide bread and spinach among 4 small, shallow 8-ounce baking dishes.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and 3/4 cup cheese. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Divide mixture evenly among baking dishes and top with 1/2 cup cheese. Set dishes on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until set in middle and golden brown on top, 20 to 25 minutes.

MAKE-AHEAD CHEDDAR, BACON, AND TOMATO STRATA

Steps:

• Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings in the skillet. Crumble when cool enough to handle.
• Add onion to drippings in the skillet; saute for 4 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute. Remove from heat; combine onion mixture and bacon.
• Whisk milk, eggs, basil, thyme, salt, and pepper together in a bowl until well combined.
• Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and arrange 1/2 of the bread cubes in the bottom.
• Top bread cubes with 2/3 cup Cheddar cheese, 1/2 of the onion mixture, and 6 tomato slices. Pour 1/2 of the milk mixture over tomatoes. Top with remaining bread cubes and 2/3 cup Cheddar. Top with remaining onion mixture, tomato slices, and milk mixture. Cover and place in the refrigerator to chill at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Bake strata in the preheated oven, uncovered, for 55 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining Cheddar cheese and bake until cheese melts, an additional 5 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

CHEDDAR AND CHORIZO STRATA

Steps:

• Place 4 cups bread cubes in a single layer in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 cup cheese and the spinach. Layer with chorizo and onion; top with remaining bread and cheese., In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, garlic salt and mustard. Pour over bread. Refrigerate, covered, several hours or overnight., Preheat oven to 350°. Remove strata from refrigerator while oven heats. Bake, uncovered, until golden brown and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.

BACON & CHEDDAR STRATA

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook bacon in batches until crisp; drain on paper towels. Crumble into a small bowl. Add red pepper, onions and tomatoes. In a greased 13x9-in. baking dish, layer half each of the bread, bacon mixture and cheese. Top with remaining bread and bacon mixture., In another bowl, combine eggs, milk, mayonnaise and seasonings. Pour over top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and refrigerate overnight., Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake, covered, 40 minutes. Uncover and bake 5-10 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.