Nothing beats a delicious breakfast or brunch to make a day special. Of all the different strata’s I’ve made through the years this Italian themed dish is my favorite. What is a ‘strata’? It’s a dish based upon milk, eggs and bread. I was making them in my 20’s served with a green salad for an inexpensive evening meal. Every flavor can be implemented. You could even write a southwest strata based on cornbread, chorizo, jalapenos, peppers, onions, pepper jack etc.
Many are made the night before and simply baked in the morning. Our household rule has always been: ‘First guy up preheats the oven and sets in the breakfast casserole.’
One of the things I think you will enjoy is the combination of spices implemented.
Other cheeses like a provolone might be nice instead of parmesan. I can also see spinach in this dish, chopped into small pieces. Some may think artichokes could be yucky, but I might try them.
This past week I made a fresh pasta salad, fresh basil was on hand and it made such a great addition to my salad. If you are growing fresh herbs you might consider implementing the fresh basil in this recipe.
Our household keeps ‘trying’ to get outdoor chores done, but the rain interrupts about every effort made. I even lost fresh ferns because I couldn’t get them in the ground between all the rain storms. Well, the good thing is the Table Rock Lake is nice and full!
I hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. Since we live on the lake we tend to sorta’ hibernate when the holidays are here. This past weekend we went out of town. We usually make sure all the grocery shopping is done so we don’t have to fight the crowds during weekends. I’m not complaining, just stating how it goes. The tourists are our livelihood, certainly don’t want to knock that!
Let’s see a little recipe! Simply yours, The Covered Dish.
Italian Strata
1-pound Italian Sausage, cooked
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 (16 oz.) can chopped tomatoes, drained
*Could use Italian style tomatoes or fire roasted.
2 cups milk
6-8 slices cubed bread
1 cup Parmesan cheese (or your desired amount)
8 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
Pepper to taste
Sliced black olives or mushrooms, optional
Cook sausage, breaking into small pieces, add pepper and onion and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes. Add drained tomatoes and continue cooking until most of the moisture is absorbed. In a large bowl break bread into cubes, sprinkle with cheese, salt and spices. Whisk eggs and milk together and combine with the bread crumb mixture. Lastly; stir in meat and vegetables. Pour mixture into a 9 x 13 baking pan and cover. Refrigerate for one hour or overnight. Bake in a 350-degree oven until the dish is puffed and golden. Allow to stand for a few minutes before serving. A knife inserted in the center will also tell you if the dish is done cooking. The knife should be clean. 6-8 persons served.
If this is served with a side of meat consider leaving out the sausage. Sauté the vegetables in 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil instead. Also; consider personalizing the cheese to your liking: Cheddar, Parmesan, Romano, etc. Use this recipe as a foundation for all kinds of breakfast casseroles.
