Breakfast: March 2007 Archives

I thought I had a great idea: Turn the pecan-raisin rolls that were getting a little dry into a breakfast bread-pudding type casserole. But I tried to fudge the recipe and I ended up with something that wasn't pretty, with curdled-looking custard and bread that was mushy in some place and completely crusty in others. It was just that the bread didn't absorb enough of the custard; it sat all night in the fridge, so I can't help but think the bread was just too dense and maybe not dried out enough. Also, I think scrambling the eggs a bit before you mix them in with the milk, which maybe should have been something higher fat than 1 percent.

The flavor was good, with just a couple teaspoons of brown sugar and a dash of cinnamon. We ate some of it. So I may try it again with a few tweaks, and maybe I'll have something.

I have actually had some requests for this strata recipe, so I better get on the ball with it. I skipped some steps because I threw it together while watching the Oscars, and since I don't have a TV in my kitchen that meant running into the kitchen during breaks to get done what I could. Still, it was easy to make, and no one missed the things I left out.

You need 8 cups of 1-inch bread cubes. The recipe I was using said 1/2 pound, but my 1/2 pound Italian loaf was no where near enough, and this is kind of horrifying: all I had besides sandwich loaf was a whole wheat bagel, so that's what I used to supplement my bread. No one noticed. I scattered half of the cubes in my 9 x 13-inch pan (you could use a deeper 3-quart casserole dish and make 3 layers instead of 2). Then I scattered over it half of a 10-oz box of frozen spinach that I had thawed and squeezed dry (the recipe I used directed me to saute an onion, then add the spinach, salt, pepper and nutmeg - I skipped this step and added the seasonings to the custard). Then I sprinkled 1 cup grated gruyere and 1/2 cup parmesan over the bread and spinach. Repeat bread, spinach and cheese layers.

Mix together 2 3/4 cup milk, 9 eggs, a teaspoon of Dijon mustard and some salt, pepper and nutmeg, then pour it over the bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight (up to 24 hours). In the morning, take the strata out of the fridge to let it come to room temperature, about 30 minutes, then bake in a 350 degree oven for around 50 minutes. Let sit for a few minutes, the cut and serve.