Holiday Brunch Beef Strata

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 lbs. ground beef
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 4 oz. button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 tsp. dried thyme leaves, crushed
• 2 cups milk
• 5 large eggs
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 8 cups crustless bread cubes (3/4-inch)
• 2 cups shredded Asiago or fontina cheese
• 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
• thinly sliced fresh basil

Instructions

Brown ground beef in large nonstick skillet over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes or until beef is no longer pink, breaking into 3/4-inch crumbles. Remove from skillet with slotted spoon; season with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Set aside. Pour off drippings from skillet.

Heat oil in same skillet over medium heat until hot. Add mushrooms and onion; cook 3 to 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring frequently. Return beef to skillet. Add thyme; cook 3 to 5 minutes or until heated through, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Set aside.

Whisk milk, eggs, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper in large bowl until blended.

Spray 2-1/2 to 3-quart shallow baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Layer half of bread cubes, 1/2 cup of chees and half of beef mixture in dish. Pour half of egg mixture over top. Top with remaining bread dubes, 1/2 cup cheese and remaining beef and egg mixtures. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Press any dry bread cubes into egg mixture. Cover with aluminum foil; regrigerate 6 hours or as long as overnight.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake strata, covered with foil, 55 minutes. Remove foil. Bake, uncovered, 10 to 15 minutes or until puffed and lightly browned. Let stand 5 minutes. Top with tomatoes and basil, as desired.

Tips from Our Cook

Cook' s Tips: To bake strata immediately, heat oven to 350°F. Assemble strata in dish as directed. Bake, covered, 40 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Day-old or stale, good-quality crusty bread, such as French, Italian or sourdough, is recommended for this recipe.

Two cups shredded Italian cheese blend may be substituted for Asiago or fontina cheese.

 

Nutritional Information

Nutrition information per serving: 604 calories; 35 g fat (14 g saturated fat; 10 g monounsaturated fat); 285 mg cholesterol; 1205 mg sodium; 30 g carbohydrate; 2.7 g fiber; 41 g protein; 7.6 mg niacin; 0.5 mg vitamin B6; 3.0 mcg vitamin B12; 5.2 mg iron; 41.7 mcg selenium; 6.4 mg zinc.