Cheesy Chorizo Strata

BrenRick's Note:

This recipe won the blue ribbon at the 2009 Texas State Fair. Oprah and Gail voted it the "best of the best".

• Total Time: 2 hrs 25 mins
• Prep Time: 1 hrs 30 mins
• Cook Time: 55 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 4

Yield: 4.0 Ramekins

• 8 ounces chorizo sausage
• ½ cup mild green chili
• 1 jalapeno
• ½ lb monterey jack cheese
• 3 cups french breadcrumbs
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 2 2⁄3; cups milk
• ¼ cup melted butter

Directions:

1. Chop green chilies.
2. seed and dice jalapeno.
3. melt butter.
4. Preheat oven to 300.
5. Generously grease four 10 ounce ovenproof ramekins.
6. Cook and drain chorizo.
7. Spread an even amount of chorizo over bottom of each ramekin.
8. top with chilies and jalepeno.
9. spread half of the cheese cubes evenly among the ramekins.
10. top with bread crumbs.
11. In a medium bowl, wisk egg, cumin,salt and pepper, followed by milk.
12. Drizzle each ramekin with the melted butter.
13. Divide the eggs mixture evenly among them.
14. Top with remaining cheese.
15. Chill at least 2 hours, or overnight.
16. Set ramekins in a bath of hot water and bake at 300 for 45-50 mins.till puffed and set.
17. Set the ramekins under the broiler for 5-7 minutes to get a nice crispy, cheesy top.
18. Serve with your favorite salsa if desired.

Reviews

[pattys45]

Wonderful. Make ahead and set in refrig for flavors to mix. I did overnight, but I guess minimum 2 hours as they said may be sufficient. I did not have ramekins so made in a smaller Corning French White oval baking dish. (Probably the equivelent of 4 ramekins)