Oh...Christmas is coming , lets try ! Happy Holiday !!! Holiday Brunch Strata With Ham, Spinach & Cheese Makes 8 servings INGREDIENTS 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced 1 package of frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry 1 1/2 cups whole milk 1 1/4 cups heavy cream 8 large eggs 1 cup coarsely shredded cheese (Gruyere, Swiss or Cheddar) 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg Dash of cayenne Dash of hot sauce 6 cups of cubed bread, cut into 1-inch cubes 1 cup diced, cooked ham 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese DIRECTIONS Cut bread into 1-inch cubes and place in the bottom of a greased 9×13 casserole dish. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté garlic for a minute or two. Stir in spinach and sauté for about 5 minutes until cooked through; remove from heat, set aside. In the mixing bowl of the KitchenAid® Artisan® Series Stand Mixer, add the whole milk, cream, eggs, cheese, mustard, salt and pepper, cayenne, nutmeg and hot sauce. Whisk together on low speed until ingredients are mixed together well. Pour the milk, cheese and egg custard over the bread cubes in the casserole dish and press down to coat all the bread completely with the egg mixture. Layer on top the spinach and garlic mixture, spreading evenly over the casserole. Top with the cubed cooked ham and sprinkle additional cheese on top. Press down on the mixture and evenly spread out the ham and cheese throughout the casserole dish. Cover the strata tightly with foil and chill for at least 2 hours to overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the strata, covered, until eggs are set and the edges are bubbling, about 30 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake for another 10 minutes. If the top starts getting too brown, cover it with foil towards the end of cooking. Increase oven temperature to the broiler on high and move the rack to the top of the oven and broil until the strata is bubbly and golden brown, for another few minutes. Pierce the strata with a knife in the center to check for doneness – if it comes out clean then the bread custard is cooked through. Serve warm with fresh fruit, a green salad and a few mimosas and celebrate the holiday season with this gorgeous comforting brunch dish! Note: The strata can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator, covered for a day or so until ready to bake. To store cooked casserole in the freezer, wrap it well with plastic wrap in the baking dish, and cover tightly with foil, up to 1 month. Simply pop it in the oven and reheat for about 30-45 minutes at 350 degrees until the strata is hot and heated through.
Posted on: Fri, 19 Dec 2014 13:07:55 +0000