Sharing the Love: Farmer's Strata

This is one of my favorite breakfast dishes.  I made it for the first time for a bridal shower when I lived in Arizona and have made it countless times in thirteen years since (wow!  has it been thirteen years?!).  We made too much, so my sweet friend Peg ate it for days afterwards.  (Miss you, Peg.)

Additionally, it's our Christmas morning and Easter morning breakfast.  You make it the day before, so it's easy peasy on holiday mornings!

(ugh. i am not a food photgrapher!)

1 lb sliced bacon, cut into 1/2" pieces
2 c chopped ham
1 small onion
10 slices white bread, cubed
1 c cubed cooked potatoes
3 c shredded cheddar cheese
8 eggs
3 c milk
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dry mustard
salt & pepper

In a skillet, cook bacon until crisp, add ham and onion.  Cook and stir until onion is tender; drain.  In a greased 9 x 13 baking dish, layer half the bread cubes, potatoes and cheese.  Top with all of the bacon mixture.  Repeat layers of bread, potatoes, and cheese.  In a bowl, beat the eggs; add milk, Worstershire, mustard, salt and pepper.  Pour over all.

Cover and chill overnight.

Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.  Bake, uncovered, at 325 for 65 - 70 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. 

My notes:

*I use other ingredients sometimes.  Feel free to add green pepper, mushrooms, sausage (spicy breakfast sausage is Cory's fave), or substitute swiss (Gruyère, Andy?) for cheddar.  Make it your own. That's the beauty of a brunch strata!

*frozen hash browns work great for the potatoes.

*Crusty bread is better that regular white bread.  French bread, or my absolute fave: asiago cheese loaf.  YUM.

Enjoy!