Make-Ahead Ham & Cheddar Breakfast Strata

Name: Make-Ahead Ham & Cheddar Breakfast Strata
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American comfort
Ingredients: 1 loaf (16 oz) sourdough, in 1-inch cubes; 9 oz sliced ham, chopped; 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar; 8 eggs; 2½ cups milk; 5 oz baby spinach, roughly chopped; 4 green onions, sliced; 1 tbsp butter; 1 tsp Dijon mustard; ½ tsp salt; pepper

BreakfastAmerican comfort75 minServes 6680 kcal42 g protein

Photo: digitalprimate · CC BY 2.0 · source

Cubes of sourdough soaked overnight in a mustardy custard with ham, sharp cheddar and spinach, then baked into a puffed, golden, crisp-topped casserole.

Make it part of your week. MealTote sizes this recipe for everyone you cook for, adds it to a weekly meal plan and puts the ingredients on one grocery list split across your stores. Open it in MealTote

Ingredients

1 loaf (16 oz) sourdough, in 1-inch cubes
9 oz sliced ham, chopped
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
8 eggs
2½ cups milk
5 oz baby spinach, roughly chopped
4 green onions, sliced

From your pantry: 1 tbsp butter, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, ½ tsp salt, pepper.

Instructions

Butter a 9x13 baking dish. If the bread is fresh, toast the cubes on a sheet pan at 350°F for 10 minutes to dry them out.
Layer half the bread in the dish, then half the ham, spinach, green onions and cheese. Repeat with the rest, saving ½ cup cheese for the top.
Whisk the eggs, milk, mustard, salt and plenty of pepper. Pour evenly over the bread and press down so every cube gets soaked. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
Take the dish out 30 minutes before baking and heat the oven to 350°F. Sprinkle the reserved cheese on top.
Bake uncovered 45 to 55 minutes, until puffed, golden and a knife in the center comes out without wet egg (160°F inside). Rest 10 minutes before cutting.

Tip: Dry, day-old bread is the key. It drinks up the custard without going soggy, so the strata is tender inside with a crisp top.