Ingredients
- 10 cups (412 g) rye bread or white bread, 1-inch cubes
- ¼ cup (57 g) butter, melted
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cups (252 g) onion, diced
- 1 lb (454 g) asparagus, ends trimmed off, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tbsp (3 pcs) garlic cloves, minced
- 1½ pkgs (225 g) Montreal Style Smoked Meat Thinly Sliced, roughly chopped
- 2 cups (227 g) grated sharp or old cheddar cheese
- 8 eggs
- 1½ cups (375 ml) milk
- 1½ cups (375 ml) heavy cream
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) Dijon mustard
- 1½ tsp (9 g) salt
- 1 tsp (1 g) dried parsley
- 1 tsp (1 g) dried basil
- ½ tsp (2 g) cayenne
- ½ tsp (1 g) dried mint
- ½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, preferably freshly ground
Preparation
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Step 1Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly butter a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish. Set aside. -
Step 2In a large bowl, toss together the cubed bread and melted butter until evenly coated. Transfer bread to the prepared baking sheet and spread in a single layer. Place into the preheated oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until bread is dry and lightly golden. Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet.
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Step 3Place a large skillet with olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onions and saute until onions are golden and translucent; about 5 minutes. Add the fresh asparagus and minced garlic. Saute until asparagus is just warmed through and garlic is fragrant but not burnt; about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Allow to cool slightly.
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Step 4Place half of the bread cubes into the buttered dish. Evenly spread half of the asparagus/onion mixture over the bread. Sprinkle half of the Montreal Smoked Meat over the vegetable mixture and finally a layer of cheese over that. Repeat with the remaining bread, asparagus and Montreal smoked meat. The final layer of cheese will be added just before baking.
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Step 5In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, Dijon mustard, salt, parsley, basil, cayenne, mint and black pepper, until thoroughly combined.
Pour the custard mixture evenly over the strata, gently pressing the bread into the custard. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to overnight. -
Step 6Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
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Step 7Sprinkle the remaining cup of grated cheddar cheese over the strata. Cover with foil and place the casserole dish into the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and rotate casserole dish, and bake for an additional 25 to 30 minutes or until top is browned and the filling is set. Strata is ready when a knife inserted into the centre of the strata comes out clean.
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Step 8Remove dish from the oven and allow the dish to rest and further set or 15 minutes before cutting and serving.
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Chef’s Tips:*For a heartier strata, bagels can be used in place of the rye bread.
*Replace the milk and heavy cream with half-and-half for ease of preparation.
*For a darker or crustier topping, broil the strata for the last few minutes, if desired.
*Great as a side dish or an easy breakfast for a large group.