Celery Strata Recipes

Steps:

• Whisk together the milk, eggs and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir in the thyme and sage. In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta, Parmesan, pepper and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and stir in the braised celery.
• Grease a 9-by-12-by-2 1/2-inch pan with 1 teaspoon of butter. Place 6 slices of bread in the bottom and top with 1/2 of the ricotta-Parmesan mixture. Repeat, then finish with a layer of bread spread with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Pour the egg mixture over the top, gently pressing down so it soaks through the bread. Wrap the pan in plastic and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the plastic from the pan and sprinkle with Cheddar cheese. Put this pan into a large roasting pan on the middle rack in the oven. Pour boiling water into the larger pan to reach halfway up the sides and bake for 50 minutes.
• Remove the smaller pan from the water bath, increase the heat to 400 degrees and bake for 10 minutes, or until the strata is puffy and brown. Let cool and serve.

Steps:

• Arrange bread cubes in a single layer on several ungreased large baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 20-30 minutes until golden brown and crisp. , Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the chicken, potatoes, celery, carrots and parsley. In another large bowl, combine the milk, broth, eggs, butter, salt and pepper. Pour over bread mixture; toss to coat. , Pour into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45 minutes; stir. Bake 45 minutes longer or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve with gravy if desired.