Overnight Egg and Cheese Strata

I love making this type of breakfast meal where I can get it ready at night and in less than 30 minutes, it is ready for my daughters to eat in the morning prior to going to school. I did not have mortadella, but I had smoked turkey slices which I used. Loved how the asparagus was nice and crunchy, yet the rest was moist and tasty.

So little work for such great taste! The ingredients are so straightforward and the assembly is so easy. I did not add the mortadella or prosciutto, because I was serving a mixed group as far as dietary requirements. The two things that place this strata above others are the use of very good artisan bread and the Fontina cheese. You can easily substitute other cheeses and it would still be wonderful, but the Fontina is so creamy and has such good flavor that I would make sure to use it. You could use artichokes or other veggies, but the asparagus adds a brightness to the dish. Perfect for breakfast, brunch or a light supper. If making it without meat, it would be good served with some thick bacon slices on the side for those who prefer meat. Next time, I will try it with prosciutto.

This was an excellent make-ahead recipe. I doubled it, let it rest in the fridge overnight, cooked it in a 9×13″ pan and it baked perfectly in just over an hour. I used sourdough and omitted the asparagus. Will definitely make again, as it’s a great way to use up leftovers.

This Egg and Cheese Strata is a very familiar recipe. As with others of its type, it’s assembles easily and cooks quickly. The asparagus stalks add a nice texture, extra flavor and visual appeal to the mix. Rather than peeling the ends of them, I’d snap the ends off so they can fit in the pot before peeling (if peeling is necessary). I like the mortadella option and used it in my casserole. If using prosciutto, you may want to julienne the slices, as it can sometimes be a little tough to cut through.

I loved the nuttiness that comes from using whole-grain bread. The custard part was just lovely—rich but light. At first I thought there might be too much cheese (a phrase I can hardly believe I just wrote), but the Fontina did not overwhelm. Everything fit perfectly in a four-cup oval Le Creuset casserole dish. I ground up the bread crusts in the food processor and sprinkled them on top about five minutes before the strata was done. It meant I didn’t waste any good bread bits, and got an extra crunch to boot. Next time–and there will be a next time–I might cut the asparagus into smaller bits to make serving/cutting on the plate a bit easier. As for the serving size, it’s a very generous two-person amount in my opinion, and would feel it could serve four people for a lunch with that big salad on the side.