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Bacon and Swiss Cheese Strata

Source of Recipe

From "Nathalie Dupree's Comfortable Entertaining"


Recipe Introduction

"This is strata's answer to quiche. I frequently use it for Sunday-night supper along with sliced tomatoes or a simple salad, particularly when I have weekend houseguests. Think of it as a 'bacon-and-eggs' breakfast. It can be baked as soon as it is assembled but is best when mixed a day before baking. The baked casserole may be made ahead and reheated, but it isn't as light."

List of Ingredients

• 6 to 8 slices bacon
• 2 to 3 Tbsp (â…“ stick) butter
• ¼ cup finely chopped shallots
• 10 slices white bread
• 2½ cups shredded Swiss cheese
• 9 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 cups milk
• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish or two shallow 1½-quart casseroles.

In a skillet or microwave, cook the bacon until crisp. Drain it and let it cool. Break the bacon into 1-inch pieces and put into a large zip-top plastic bag.

In a small skillet, melt the butter, add the shallots, and sauté. Set aside to cool slightly. Trim the crusts from the bread slices and cut the slices into 1-inch pieces. Add to the plastic bag. Add the cooked shallots and the cheese to the plastic bag and shake to combine.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, mustard, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour the egg mixture into the plastic bag and seal, carefully squeezing out the excess air. For safety, slide this bag, zipper end first, into a second zip-top plastic bag and seal. If possible, refrigerate overnight.

An hour before serving, pour the mixture into the baking dish or casseroles and spread evenly. Bake, covered with a lid or foil for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 30 minutes. May be refrigerated several days or frozen up to 3 months.

Serves 6 to 8