Hearty Pepper Strata Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. Toss zucchini and peppers with oil and seasonings; transfer to a 15x10x1-in. pan. Roast until tender, 25-30 minutes, stirring once. Stir in tomato; cool slightly., Trim ends from bread; cut bread into 1-in. slices. In a greased 13x9-in. baking dish, layer half of each of the following: bread, roasted vegetables and cheeses. Repeat layers. Whisk together eggs and milk; pour evenly over top. Refrigerate, covered, 6 hours or overnight., Preheat oven to 375°. Remove casserole from refrigerator while oven heats. Bake, uncovered, until golden brown, 40-50 minutes. Let stand 5-10 minutes before cutting. Freeze option: Cover and freeze unbaked casserole. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 375°. Bake casserole as directed, increasing time as necessary to heat through and for a thermometer inserted in center to read 165°.

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.

Steps:

• Place a third of the bread cubes in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Layer with a third of the peppers, onion, roast beef and cheese. Repeat layers twice. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, mustard, salt and pepper; pour over top. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight., Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, covered, at 325° for 1 hour. Uncover; bake 15-20 minutes longer or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease a 1 1/2 quart baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
• Whisk the eggs, milk, half-and-half, nutmeg, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in a large bowl. Fold the greens, meat, bread and 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese into the mixture. Pour into the prepared baking dish and top with the remaining cheese.
• Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake until the strata is puffed, golden brown at the edges and set in the center, about 15 minutes more. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Butter 8-by-8-inch baking dish and set aside. Heat butter over medium heat. When it foams, add scallions, and cook until just softened, about 1 minute. Add asparagus and cook until bright green and beginning to soften, about 2 minutes; remove from heat.
• Whisk eggs, half-and-half, salt, cumin, and pepper in a large bowl until evenly combined. Arrange half of the bread in bottom of prepared dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the cheese and half each of jalapenos, cilantro, and asparagus mixture. Pour over half of egg mixture. Repeat layering with remaining bread, another 1/2 cup of the cheese, and remaining chilies, cilantro and asparagus mixture. Pour remaining egg mixture over top.
• Sprinkle strata with another 1/4 cup of the cheese and push to ensure bread is submerged in egg custard. Cover with plastic wrap, put a plate and a 1-pound weight on top (a large can of tomatoes or rice in a re-sealable plastic bag works well), place in refrigerator for 1 to 12 hours.
• When ready to bake, heat oven to 325 degrees F and arrange rack in the middle. Let strata sit at room temperature while oven heats, at least 20 minutes.
• Sprinkle strata with remaining 1/4 cup of the cheese and bake until puffed and edges pull away slightly, about 40 to 45 minutes. Cool for at least 5 minutes before serving. Serve with some cilantro, sour cream, and avocado, as desired.

Steps:

• Place bread cubes in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. In a large skillet, cook and crumble sausage with pepper and onion over medium-high heat until no longer pink, 5-7 minutes. With a slotted spoon, place sausage mixture over bread. Sprinkle with cheese., In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, mustard and milk; pour over top. Refrigerate, covered, overnight., Preheat oven to 350°. Remove strata from refrigerator while oven heats., Bake, uncovered, until a knife inserted in center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting. Freeze option: Cover and freeze unbaked casserole. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake casserole as directed, increasing time as necessary to heat through and for a thermometer inserted in center to read 165°.