Individual Asparagus & Cheddar Egg Strata Recipe

Prep Time: 20 minutes plus chill in refrigerator overnight, Baking Time: 26-28 minutes, Servings: 12

What is a strata? It is a layered dish made of eggs, bread, milk, and cheese. You might compare it to a savory bread pudding or a frittata. The texture is light and fluffy. Guests frequently request the recipe for our Asparagus & Cheddar Egg Strata, so here it is.

This colorful, seasonal entree is perfect for Easter or Mother's Day Brunch when fresh asparagus is in season. We also like making it on busy mornings because the prep can be done the day before. In the morning, simply pop it into the oven and bake. The individual portions look really cute and bake in less than 30 minutes. We make our version vegetarian to accommodate our guests who don't eat meat, but it is also great with the addition of some chopped ham. If you don't have individual ramekins or baking dishes, you can also bake it in a 9x13 pan and cut into squares.

Ingredients for Asparagus & Cheddar Egg Strata:

• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
• 1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped sweet red pepper (or any color sweet pepper)
• 12 slices Texas Toast white bread, cut into 1-inch squares (or 8 cups chopped french bread)
• 8 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup chopped ham, optional (Note: We don't usually add the ham but it's delicious. If you choose to use the ham, cut salt back to 1/2 tsp.)

Instructions:

Melt butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Add peppers, onions, and asparagus and cook for about 5 minutes until softened.

Whisk together eggs and milk with marjoram, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl until well blended.

Butter or spray 12 individual ramekins (about 1 cup size, larger than muffin tins). Layer bread cubes. 1 slice of cubed bread per ramekin makes it easy to measure. Add cooked vegetables (and chopped ham if you choose), divided evenly. Pour egg mixture evenly over ramekins. Cover and refrigerate overnight, for up to 24 hours.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 26-28 minutes, or until golden and puffed. This recipe can also be prepared in a buttered 9x13 pan and baked for approximately 45-55 minutes.

Breakfast at the Greenlake Guest House is abundant and delicious. We offer a special fruit starter, breakfast entree, homemade pastry, and meat each day. Guests can also choose from options available every day like fresh brewed coffee and espresso drinks, our homemade granola, or eggs cooked to order. Here are a few of our sample menus. We hope you enjoy bringing the Greenlake Guest House B&B experience to your own home with this recipe.