Make Ahead Cheese Strata Recipes

MAKE-AHEAD SPINACH AND MOZZARELLA BREAKFAST STRATA

Steps:

• Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper; continue to cook for 1 minute more. Stir in spinach, remove from heat, and set aside.
• Spray the inside of a 3-quart (9x13-inch) baking dish with cooking spray. Layer the bottom of the dish with 1/3 of the bread cubes. Top with 1/3 of the spinach mixture and 1/3 mozzarella cheese. Repeat these layers twice more with remaining bread, spinach mixture, and cheese.
• Combine eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk together until blended. Pour evenly over the bread and spinach layered in the baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 8 hours, up to 1 day.
• Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking to allow pan to get to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven until puffed, golden brown, and cooked through, 45 to 55 minutes. Let stand at least 5 minutes before serving.

MAKE-AHEAD CHEESY SPINACH AND EGG STRATA

Steps:

• Squeeze out as much of the moisture as possible from the spinach, then chop finely.
• Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Add in the fresh mushrooms and saute for about 10-12 minutes, or until they loose their moisture completely; remove to a bowl.
• Add in onion with nutmeg, salt and cayenne and saute for 5 minutes (adding in the garlic the last few minutes) then stir in the chopped spinach; saute for 2 minutes.
• Transfer the mixture to the bowl with the mushrooms; mix to combine slightly.
• Butter a 4-quart casserole dish.
• Spread 1/3 of the cubed bread into the prepared baking dish.
• Top with 1/3 of the spinach/mushroom mixture.
• Sprinkle with 1/3 of BOTH cheeses.
• Repeat layering twice (ending with the cheeses).
• In a bowl whisk together half and half, milk, eggs, mustard.
• Pour the milk mixture evenly over the strata in the baking dish.
• Cover with plastic and chill for about 8 hours or up to 24 hours or until the bread is absorbed in the milk.
• When ready to bake, let the dish stay out at room temperature for about 40 minutes before baking.
• Set oven to 350°F (second-lowest oven rack).
• Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown.
• Delicious!

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.

CHEESE SAUSAGE STRATA

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add the eggs, milk, bread, cheese, bacon and mustard. Transfer to a greased shallow 3-qt. baking dish. Cover and refrigerate overnight. , Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350° for 60-65 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

HAM 'N' CHEESE STRATA

Steps:

• Arrange six slices of bread in the bottom of a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Top with ham and cheese. Cover with remaining bread. , In a bowl, beat eggs, milk, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, pepper and cayenne. Stir in onion and green pepper; pour over all. Cover and refrigerate overnight. , Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Pour butter over bread; sprinkle with cornflakes. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

BROCCOLI CHEESE STRATA

Steps:

• In a small microwave-safe dish, microwave broccoli and onions in water on high for 1 minute; drain and set aside. Place bread in a shallow 3-cup baking dish coated with cooking spray. Add broccoli mixture and cheese. , In a small bowl, combine the eggs, milk, mustard, dill, nutmeg and pepper; pour over cheese. Cover and refrigerate overnight. , Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.