Welcome to the delightful world of Lovewithrecipes.com, where culinary magic meets ease! 🌟 Today, we’re bringing you a mouthwatering breakfast creation that’ll make your mornings brighter and your taste buds dance – introducing the “Small Vegetable Cheese Strata.” 🍳✨
Preparation Time: 🕰️ 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 🕰️ Approximately 1 hour
Total Time: 🕰️ Overnight + 1 hour
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons of butter
- 5 cups of sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated
- 8 slices of white bread (Pepperidge Farm Toasting White Bread works wonders), generously buttered on one side and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 zucchini, diced (approximately 1/3 cup)
- 1 red bell pepper, diced (approximately 1/3 cup)
- 1 green bell pepper, diced (approximately 1/3 cup)
- 1 onion, diced (approximately 1/3 cup)
- 1 cup of milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of dry mustard powder
- Black pepper and basil (for sprinkling)
Instructions:
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Assembly: Begin by generously buttering an 8 X 8 pan, ensuring a delightful golden touch to your strata.
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Bread Cubes Bed: Take those buttered slices of white bread and cut them into charming 1/2 inch cubes. Spread them evenly in the prepared pan, ensuring every inch is covered.
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Cheese Cascade: Now, let’s create a cheese masterpiece! Coarsely grate 8 cups of sharp cheddar cheese and generously arrange it on the bed of bread cubes, creating a luscious layer that promises gooey goodness in every bite.
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Vegetable Medley: Dice the zucchini, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and onion fairly finely. Toss them together like a vibrant vegetable confetti and sprinkle this delightful medley evenly over the cheese layer.
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Egg Symphony: In a bowl, beat the eggs with milk, salt, and the magical touch of dry mustard powder. Let this egg symphony dance over the colorful vegetable layer, ensuring every nook and cranny is bathed in this flavorful mixture.
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Refrigerate Overnight: Cover your strata pan and let it rest in the refrigerator overnight. This allows the flavors to mingle, creating a breakfast symphony that’s worth the wait.
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Preheat and Season: Rise and shine to a preheated oven at 350 degrees. Sprinkle your strata with a dash of black pepper and the aromatic basil, infusing it with a tantalizing fragrance that’ll make your kitchen feel like a culinary haven.
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Bathing Ritual: Now, for a unique twist! Place your strata pan in a larger pan filled with enough boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the strata pan. It’s like giving your creation a spa day!
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Bake to Perfection: Slide your strata into the oven and let it bake for approximately 1 hour or until the top turns a glorious brown, and you can’t resist the bubbling beauty. The water in the larger pan should have some bubbles, but don’t let it boil – we’re aiming for gentle perfection.
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Serve and Savor: Once baked to perfection, take your Small Vegetable Cheese Strata out of the oven. The aroma will be irresistible, and the sight, even more so. Serve it up, and watch as your loved ones revel in the delightful layers of flavors and textures.
There you have it – a breakfast masterpiece that combines the simplicity of preparation with the complexity of flavors. The Small Vegetable Cheese Strata is a testament to the joy of cooking, a symphony of tastes that’ll make your mornings memorable. Enjoy! 🌞🍽️ #Lovewithrecipes #BreakfastDelight #CheeseStrataMagic
