Ham and Cheese Strata

Key Ingredients

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• Sandwich Bread — Choose a sturdy sandwich bread, such as Pepperidge Farm Hearty White Bread, or other white bread that will stand up to soaking in the egg mixture. Sourdough or French breads also work well. If you’d like to make your own, try my Easy Homemade Bread Recipe.
• Sharp Cheddar Cheese — I prefer a good extra sharp cheddar cheese for its bold flavor. Feel free to experiment with other cheeses such as Gruyère or Swiss cheese.
• Baked Ham — This is a great recipe for using up leftover baked ham. Both Smithfield and HoneyBaked are fantastic hams. I often purchase Smithfield’s diced ham when I want to make a recipe but don’t have leftover ham on hand. You can also use cooked bacon or sausage as alternatives.
• Canned Sliced Mushrooms — Be sure to drain the mushrooms well so you don’t have excess moisture in the finished dish. 
• Milk — I recommend whole milk because of its slightly higher fat content, and for the rich flavor it adds to the savory custard. 

Recipe Variations

• Add diced bell peppers, onions, spinach, or any of your favorite veggies between the layers.
• Substitute mozzarella cheese and cooked Italian sausage for a Mediterranean style strata.

What is Strata?

“Strata” is from the word stratum and simply means layers. A strata is a recipe in which the ingredients are layered in the baking dish. Stratas are typically breakfast or brunch recipes and consist of a protein such as ham that is layered with bread and cheese, sometimes vegetables, and a milk and egg mixture (a savory custard, if you will) is poured over. The dish is left to set overnight and baked the next day.

How to Make Ham and Cheese Strata

1. Trim the crusts from five slices of bread (reserve the crusts). Cut the slices in half diagonally and set them aside.
2. Generously butter a 9-inch square baking dish or small casserole dish. Tear the remaining three slices of bread into pieces and place the pieces in the baking dish along with the reserved crusts.

3. Over the bread, make one layer each of cheese, ham, mushrooms, and parsley.
4. Arrange the bread triangles in two rows over the layers.

5. In a medium bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and mix well.
6. Slowly pour the egg and milk mixture evenly over the bread. Try to make sure that each bread triangle gets nicely saturated with milk.
7. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and chill for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.

8. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes until golden brown on top and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
9. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Pro Tip

To make the recipe really easy, use packaged grated cheese, an 8-ounce package of diced baked ham, and canned mushrooms. If you want to hand-grate the cheese, cook up some ham, and saute fresh mushrooms, please do so! However, I’ve found that the difference in taste is minuscule.

Troubleshooting Tips

• If the strata seems to be browning too quickly, tent it with aluminum foil to slow the top browning.
• Be sure to give the dish adequate time (at least 8 hours) before baking to allow the bread to fully absorb the milk and egg mixture.

How I Serve Ham and Cheese Strata

I serve it hot from the oven with a fresh fruit salad on the side for breakfast or brunch. Leftovers make a fantastic lunch paired with a green salad dressed with a classic vinaigrette. For dinner, serve with a side of home fries and a slice of coconut cake for dessert.

How to Store the Leftovers

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, simply place individual portions in the microwave or oven until warmed through.

Recipe

Ham and Cheese Strata

This Ham and Cheese Strata contains layers of ham, cheese, and mushrooms, along with bread, eggs, and milk, for the perfect weekend or special occasion breakfast.

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 387kcal

Author: Lana Stuart

Ingredients

• ▢ 8 slices sandwich bread
• ▢ 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese grated
• ▢ 8 ounces baked ham chopped
• ▢ 4 ounces canned sliced mushrooms drained
• ▢ ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley or 2 tablespoons dried
• ▢ 2 ¼ cups milk
• ▢ 4 eggs lightly beaten
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon dry mustard
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon paprika
• ▢ Dash of black pepper

Instructions

• Trim the crusts from five slices of bread (reserve the crusts). Cut the slices in half diagonally and set them aside.
  8 slices sandwich bread
• Generously butter a 9-inch square baking dish or small casserole dish. Tear the remaining three slices of bread into pieces and place the pieces in the baking dish along with the reserved crusts.
• Over the bread, make one layer each of cheese, ham, mushrooms, and parsley.
  2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, 8 ounces baked ham, 4 ounces canned sliced mushrooms, ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• Arrange the bread triangles in two rows over the layers.
• In a medium bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and mix well.
  2 ¼ cups milk, 4 eggs, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon dry mustard, ⅛ teaspoon paprika, Dash of black pepper
• Slowly pour the egg and milk mixture evenly over the bread. Try to make sure that each bread triangle gets nicely saturated with milk.
• Cover the dish with aluminum foil and chill for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes until golden brown on top and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

• Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, simply place individual portions in the microwave or oven until warmed through.
• While you can freeze the unbaked strata, the texture will change upon thawing. It’s best enjoyed fresh or refrigerated for a few days.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1Calories 387kcalCarbohydrates 24gProtein 26gFat 21gSaturated Fat 10gPolyunsaturated Fat 2gMonounsaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0.02gCholesterol 178mgSodium 1444mgPotassium 285mgFiber 1gSugar 8gVitamin A 898IUVitamin C 3mgCalcium 472mgIron 2mg

Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.

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