Savory Breakfast Bread Pudding with tarragon and Gruyére
from Cuisine at Home magazine, June 2009 issue

StrataThis recipe is open to a lot of interpretation. It's basically a layered bread dish. Place a layer of sliced bread in a baking dish, then a layer of filling, finally top with a layer of bread. Pour a beaten egg and milk mixture over all and let it sit until the bread has absorbed the eggs and milk; then bake. Some recipes use cubes of bread instead of slices.

You can put cheese or other ingredients, such as tomato slices, on the top layer of bread to form a sort of topping. One interesting idea I saw was to use crushed cornflakes mixed with melted butter to create a crispy finish to the dish. Other good filling combinations I have seen looking at recipes on the Internet:

  1. Layer ham, American cheese and instant dried onion between the bread slices and add 2 tsp. Dijon mustard to the egg mixture to give it a little zing. This is the recipe that added the cornflake crumbs and butter to the top.
  2. Layer cooked breakfast sausage, fried onions, wilted spinach, 1 1/2 cups Swiss cheese, 1 cup Parmesan cheese and add 2 tsp Dijon mustard and 2 Tbsp. fresh thyme to the egg mixture.
  3. Make a filling of marinated artichoke hearts, goat cheese and a little Parmesan cheese.
  4. "Kentucky Hot Brown" Strata - based on the famous Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwich - use roasted or smoked turkey, crisp fried bacon, sliced tomatoes and Parmesan cheese for the filling.

Cuisine at Home recipe

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2  pounds button mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese, divided
1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyére cheese, divided
3 scallions, thinly sliced, green part only
1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 pound sliced artisan-style bread
10 eggs
3  cups milk
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

GREASE the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter.

SAUTE half the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons oil in a large sauté pan over high heat until all their moisture has evaporated. Transfer sautéed mushrooms to a bowl. Sauté remaining mushrooms in 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add to bowl.

MIX 1/2 cup Swiss and 1/2 cup Gruyére with scallions and tarragon.

COVER bottom of the prepared baking dish with a layer of bread, cutting slices as needed to fill in spaces. Top with half the mushrooms and all the herbed cheese. Cover with another layer of bread, remaining mushrooms and remaining Swiss and Gruyére.

BLEND eggs, mustard, milk, salt, and pepper in a blender until combined. Pour over layers in baking dish. Cover bread pudding with plastic wrap, gently pressing to encourage absorption; refrigerate at least two hours or overnight. Remove plastic wrap before baking. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

BAKE until bread pudding is cooked through (160 degrees), about 1 hour. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

12 servings

Nutritional information: 345 cal; 17g fat; 185mg chol; 619mg sodium; 26g carb; 2g fiber; 20g protein.