Monte Cristo Strata

Alan in SW Florida's Note:

Going to a restaurant for Sunday brunch can be wonderful, but, maybe you prefer the comfort and economy of a home-cooked meal, especially when you are entertaining guests. A strata, including this one, is a great way to go, since you make it the night before, and when you are ready the next day, just pop it in the oven.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 10 mins
• Prep Time: 25 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 10

• nonstick cooking spray (like Pam)
• 8 large eggs
• 2 cups whole milk (you can use 2% also)
• 5 -6 dashes hot pepper sauce (I like "Louisiana" hot sauce, but you use your favorite)
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard ("Colman's Original English Mustard" is my favorite)
• 1 loaf sliced white bread , torn into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 pound and, please, use a good-quality)
• 8 ounces deli-style sliced turkey breast , cut into matchstick-sized pieces
• 8 ounces deli-style sliced ham , cut into matchsticks
• 3 cups shredded swiss cheese (about 12 ounces)

Directions:

1. Spray a 9x13x2-inch baking pan with the non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, hot sauce, and dry mustard until well blended.
3. Arrange as much of the bread pieces as you can in a single layer in the prepared pan. Top, in layers, with the turkey, ham, and 1/2 of the cheese. Top with the remaining bread pieces, and pour on the egg mixture, tilting the pan to make sure all the bread is coated. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
4. The next day, when you are ready to cook, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. While the oven is preheating, take the strata out of the refrigerator, remove the plastic wrap, and let stand at room temperature until the oven is ready. Bake until puffed and golden, about 45 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing into squares.

Reviews

[**Tinkerbell**]

We love breakfast stratas & this one is now at the top of the list! For being so simple it's absolutely delicious. I made one side without cheese for half the family who can't eat it & they loved it just as much as the cheesy side of the family did. :) I went easy on the hot sauce but next time I'll go the full amount as we couldn't taste any heat at all. We tried the strata with ketchup, salsa & horseradish. I added a sprinkle of paprika on top but think cayenne would be nice next time too. We can't wait to make this again. It easily reduced by half to feed 4 & we really enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing, Alan!