Strata Your Way
Perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, strata is a fantastic way to use up leftover bread, cooked vegetables, and cheese. And, it is the ultimate customizable dish! Change up the taste using different combinations of cheese, vegetables and herbs. See the suggestions below for some great ideas. Serve with a tossed or fruit salad.
Yield: 6 servings
Time: 15 minutes prep, 30 minutes sitting (or overnight in the fridge), 30-45 minutes cooking, 5 minutes resting.
Excellent source of: fiber, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, folate, calcium, manganese, phosphorous, and selenium.
Good source of: vitamin A, iron, magnesium.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups milk or dairy alternative
6 eggs or 6 egg whites with one whole egg
4 cups 1”x1” whole wheat bread cubes – use old bread that is a bit dry. If you have fresh bread, toast it lightly first (about 16 oz by weight)
½ cup shredded cheese
2 cups leftover cooked veggies cut into bite-sized pieces
½ – 1 teaspoon dried herbs or 1 tablespoon fresh herbs, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
A few dashes of hot sauce (optional)
Procedure:
Spray an 8”x8” pan with cooking spray or lightly oil.
Whisk milk and eggs together in large bowl until well combined. Add bread cubes and gently mix until bread is evenly coated. Gently mix in cheese, vegetables, herbs, salt, pepper and hot sauce if using. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight OR let sit on the counter for 30 minutes while you preheat the oven.
If you refrigerate the strata, be sure to remove it from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature while you preheat the oven (at least 30 minutes).
Preheat the oven to 375°F for at least 30 minutes. Cover strata with foil and bake 15 minutes, remove foil and continuing baking another 15-30 minutes. Strata is done when it reads 160°F on a thermometer or when a clean knife inserted at the center comes out clean. Let strata sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Strata can be kept 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave.
Nutrition Facts based on first Make It Your Own suggestion:
Per Serving (1/6 of pan): 276 calories; 6 g fat; 1.9 g saturated fat; 35.8 g carbohydrate; 5.8 g dietary fiber; 4.4 g sugars; 20.2 g protein; 526.7 mg sodium. 26.8% thiamine, 23.5% riboflavin, 20.3% niacin, 31.6% folate, 17.6% vitamin A, 28.6% calcium, 15.6% iron, 17.52% magnesium, 87.7% manganese, 28.3% phosphorous, 46.2% selenium.
*% DV tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Make It Your Own!
The strata pictured used flax milk with added protein, egg whites with one egg, whole wheat bread, Italian blend shredded cheese, asparagus, 1 teaspoon dried basil, and pepper.
Try broccoli, sharp cheddar cheese, 1 tablespoon chopped chives, and a few dashes of hot sauce.
How about a mix of cooked spinach and sautéed mushrooms with swiss cheese and ½ teaspoon of dried thyme?
For a Mexican flavor, try zucchini, corn, and canned diced chilis with Mexican blend cheese. Serve with salsa.
