I think this is the most barebones strata that I've ever seen. That's not bad, mind you! It honestly really hit the spot this morning. And the simplicity means that you don't need to worry about having a lot of ingredients on hand to make it. Plus, the relatively plain flavour makes it the perfect backdrop for whatever sauces or toppings you want to use to dress it up. So, I really have no complaints about it. It was just interesting to see a strata that was pretty much just bread, custard, and cheese with just a touch of bacon to round it out. Not a bad place to start your breakfast or brunch though, really. Very handy as a goes-with-anything sort of dish!

Bacon and Cheese Strata

Slightly adapted from The Big Book of Breakfast by Maryana Vollstedt

Ingredients

• 4 slices bread
• 100-150g bacon, cooked and chopped
• 6 large eggs
• 1 1/2 c. milk
• 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt, ground
• 1/8 tsp. black peppercorns, ground
• 2-3 drops Tabasco (or similar) hot sauce
• 2 Tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley¹
• 1/2 c. grated cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Grease a 20x30cm baking dish.
2. Arrange the bread slices in a single layer in the bottom of the dish. Trim as needed to get them to fit with as few gaps as possible.
3. Sprinkle the bacon over the bread.
4. Beat the eggs with the milk and mix in the salt, pepper, Tabasco sauce, and parsley.
5. Pour the custard over the bread, cover, and set aside for at least half an hour. Alternatively, cover, and chill overnight.
6. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
7. Sprinkle the cheese over the strata.
8. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 30-40 minutes.
9. Serve with HP Sauce and/or your favourite chutney.

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¹ I completely forgot to add the parsely! Whoops! Still tasty, but wish I'd remembered that detail. Oh well... next time! ^Back