Mediterranean Strata

 Mediterranean Strata

4 October 2022
 
Our cookbook club organizer selected “The Breakfast Bible 100+ Favorite Recipes To Start The Day from Williams Sonoma.”
 
I selected the Mediterranean Strata. It was very easy to put together.
 
Serves 4-6 (10-12 servings for a pot luck dinner).
 
1 T unsalted butter
1/2 lb crusty Italian bread, day-old, cut into 1-inch cubes (I used a French baguette)
1 14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained well and chopped
1/3 C Kalamata olives, pitted and halved (I didn’t read this correctly and thought it said 1/2 cups.
1/4 C oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and sliced (I chopped them)
1/4 lb mozzarella cheese, shredded (I small-diced the cheese)
1.5 T grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 C lightly packed fresh basil leaves, chopped
6 large eggs
2 C. whole milk (I used 1.75 cups half and half; and 1/4 cup water)
Salt and freshly pepper
 
Butter the bottom and sides of a 9”x13” baking dish that is 2” deep. Place the bread cubes in a single layer in the prepared dish. Top with the artichoke hearts, olives sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella, Parmesan, and basil, spreading the ingredients out evenly.
 
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and season with salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the strata. Cover with aluminum foil and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour, or refrigerate for up to 24 hours.  (I did the 1-hour method).
 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
 
Bake the strata, covered for 20 minutes.  Uncover and continue to bake until the eggs are set and the strata is golden brown, about 20 minutes longer.
 
Let cool slightly, the cut into squares and serve.

Overall, a very easy dish to make and quite tasty. 

Photos as I prepared the dish: