foodie wednesday: christmas breakfast

for christmas breakfast, my mom often makes an egg strata.  for those of you who are unfamiliar, egg strata is sort of like a savory bread pudding filled with ooey-gooey cheese and other deliciousness.  as you can tell from the recipe below, we always improvise...and it always turns out great!  another bonus?  you can make it in advance and bake it the day-of.  or, you can even bake it in advance and just reheat it in the oven on christmas morning.  it makes the whole house smell fabulous!

credit {here}

here's what you'll need:

1/2 a loaf of day-old crusty bread (we like to use rosemary focaccia)
2 onions chopped

approx. 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (a hearty, pungent cheese like swiss or cheddar tends to work best)
4-6 eggs
1/2 cup whole milk or half & half
mustard, worcestershire or ranch dressing to taste
salt & pepper
butter or olive oil

View full recipe

preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

1) while oven preheats, saute onions in either olive or butter over medium heat.

2) in a large, buttered oven-safe baking dish mix together chunks of bread, sauteed onions, cheese (saving a bit for the top) and season with salt and pepper.

3) in a bowl, beat eggs with milk (or cream) and season with salt, pepper and either mustard, worcestershire or ranch.  totally your choice, but traditionally my mom uses worcestershire sauce : )

4) pour egg mixture over bread mixture and press bread to make sure it absorbs egg mixture thoroughly. sprinkle top with remaining cheese.

5) bake for 30-45 minutes until golden brown on top and eggs are set. 

credit {here}

this makes approximately 8 servings, so there will be plenty of leftovers to enjoy later or the next day.  keep in mind, above is a very "basic" strata recipe, so don't hesitate to add your own personal flare.  mix in roasted tomatoes, fresh herbs or crumbled chicken sausage to really impress.  yum!

merry christmas breakfast!