Inn at Ellis River’s Chive and Cheddar Strata
Stratas are a favorite savory breakfast entrée among some of our guests, and a wonderful way to use any leftover bread from our local artisan bakery. Different breads can be combined ~ for the Inn to Inn Herb Tour, we used a combination of cheddar and cheddar wheat breads to enhance the cheddar flavor of the strata and presented it on a pool of Red Pepper Tomato Coulis.
Ingredients:
- ½ loaf English Toasting or other firm textured bread, cubed (crusts on)
- 2 cups sharp cheddar, shredded
- 1/4 cup chopped chives
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 15 large eggs
- 5 cups half and half
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- Chives for garnish
Directions:
Butter a 9″ X 13″ Pan. Line the pan with half the diced bread and cover with half the cheddar and chives. Make a second layer with the remaining bread, cheese and chives.Whisk together the eggs, mustard, half and half, salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture over bread and refrigerate overnight.Bake strata at 350 degrees F. until golden brown and puffed up (approximately one hour). Let sit for 10 minutes to set before slicing and garnishing with chives. Variations: Add 1 cup diced cooked ham, crumbled bacon, or sun-dried tomatoes with the cheese to the strata.
Red Pepper Tomato Coulis
Dice one large red bell pepper and 1/2 sweet onion (such as Vidalia or 1015) in a small amount of olive oil over low heat. When soft, place in food processor and add 5-6 roasted garlic cloves, 1 cup grape tomatoes, and an 8 ounce jar of sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil. Process until smooth, adding tomato juice or more tomatoes if needed to obtain desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm coulis with strata.
