AS YOU LIKE IT - BREAKFAST STRATA

 For our Easter Brunch, I made a Strata from a "Bon Appetit" magazine dated December, 1997.  Over time I have so significantly changed the recipe that now I just call it the "As You Like It Breakfast Strata".   Here's how it looked coming out of the oven.  I should have taken a side shot to show how much this puffed up.  The finished dish was very light and flavorful.

Here's the revised recipe.

AS YOU LIKE IT BREAKFAST STRATA

*  2 cups whole milk

*  1/4 cup olive oil

*  6 cups sourdough bread, cut into 1" cubes

*  1-1/2 cups whipping cream

*  8 large eggs

*  1 tablespoon chopped garlic

*  1-1/2 teaspoons salt

*  3/4 teaspoon black pepper

*  1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

*  6 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (about 1-1/2 cups)

*  1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (or 3/4 tablespoon dried)

*  1-1/2 teaspoons herbes de Provence (dried)

*  6 cups AS YOU LIKE IT OPTIONS**.  Mix and match to your preference:

    -  mushrooms (shitake, crimini), sauteed in butter or olive oil, cooled

    -  cherry tomatoes, sauteed or roasted with olive oil, cooled

    -  sun-dried tomatoes, cut into pieces

    -  ham, chopped

    -  spinach, fresh chopped

    -  Italian sausage, cooked and cooled

    -  leek, sliced into 1" pieces, sauteed in olive oil, and cooled

    -  artichoke hearts marinated in oil, drained and halved lengthwise

*  1 cup Fontina cheese, grated, packed

*  1-1/2 cups Parmesan cheese, grated, packed

Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Butter a 9x13x2" glass baking dish.  Prepare your "As You Like It Options."  Whisk milk and oil in large bowl.  Stir in bread.  Let stand until liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes.  Whisk cream, eggs, garlic, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a bowl to blend.  Add goat cheese.  Mix herbs in small bowl to blend.  

Place half of bread mixture in prepared dish.  Top with half of the "As You Like It Options", half of the herbs, and half of the cheeses.  Pour half of the cream mixture over all.  Repeat layering with remaining bread, Options, herbs and cheeses, and finish with remaining cream mixture.

Bake uncovered until firm in center and brown around edges, about 1 hour.

** The options I used in my strata were shitake and crimini mushrooms, roasted cherry tomatoes, and about 2-1/2 cups of artichokes.   So good!!