Casseroles are a funny thing. You aren’t likely to see them lauded as the hot new food trend any time soon. Yet make a great one, and suddenly folks clamor for the recipe.
Take an egg strata, an excellent choice for breakfast or brunch. It’s easy to prep ahead of time and bakes up light and fluffy, yet is substantial and satisfying – perfect for a romantic breakfast in bed come Valentine’s Day.
You can tailor a strata to include your favorite flavors, as well as make it sweet or savory. Strata is the plural of stratum, which literally means layers, and you can layer all your favorite ingredients in with the bread and egg custard.
The classic strata is cheddar cheese, breakfast sausage and egg. But you can alter it any way you like, including a Greek strata with spinach, feta, onion and tomato. Or one with wild mushrooms, leeks and brie cheese.
If you’re making brunch for a lot of people, make two strata – one sweet, another savory. An apple-cream cheese stuffed “French toast” strata can be the sweet version, but you could add any kind of fruit. If you make a sweet strata for Valentine’s Day, try stuffing it with strawberries and chocolate for a new twist on everyone’s beloved chocolate-covered strawberries. Just leave out the savory spices and add a touch of sugar and lemon zest to make the stuffed French toast of your dreams.