Ham and Vegetable Strata

Ham and Vegetable Strata

 

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups whole wheat bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 3/4 cup ham, cubed
• 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup frozen or fresh broccoli florets
• 8 large eggs
• 3 c. milk
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp. Herbes de Provence (or 1/4 tsp each of savory, oregano, basil, thyme, and rosemary)
• 1½ tbsp. chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Directions

1. Place bread in a greased 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Spread the ham, tomatoes, and broccoli on top, mixing in slightly with the bread cubes. Top with 1 cup cheddar.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Pour egg mixture over bread and gently press to soak every cube. Sprinkle strata with herbes de Provence or herb mixture and fresh parsley. Note* If I were to do this again, I would add the herbs directly to the egg and milk mixture so the flavours were more evenly distributed in the dish. 
3. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar on top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to overnight.

4. Remove strata from refrigerator and bring to room temperature, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake until strata is puffed and lightly golden brown, about 1 hour. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Natalee RD