It's a surprise for Christmas morning. Easy to prepare ahead of time, this Breakfast Strata recipe features goat cheese, caramelized onions, mushrooms, and thyme for a leisurely and peaceful morning. Combine ingredients the evening before and store in the fridge.Simply pop it into the oven to bake on Christmas morning. It will be puffy, golden, and incredibly fragrant when it comes out. For a cute and unique presentation, you can also bake this in small cast-iron skillets or individual ramekins. Naturally, you can also prepare and bake it on the same day! Begins your day with delicious food.
Ingredients:
One loaf of crunchy french bread or sourdough, about eight cups cubed
4-5 bacon slices (optional)
One tablespoon of oil
One onion, cut very thinly into rings
two teaspoons of butter
One pound of sliced mushrooms
Three tablespoons of freshly cut thyme
ten large eggs
One and a half cups whole milk (or split milk)
One cup of sour cream
One tsp salt
half a teaspoon of pepper
4–6 ounces of goat cheese with garnish of thyme sprigs.
1 and a half cups grated mozzerella, jack, or gruyere
Directions:
1. Set oven temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Slice the bread into ¾-inch cubes, place them on a baking sheet, and bake for 10 minutes.
3. If using bacon, place it out on a baking sheet covered with foil and bake for 20 minutes, or until it crisps. (First, divide into tiny pieces.
4. Heat the oil in a big skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, cut thinly. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking until golden and tender, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes. This will take approximately 10 minutes. Melt butter in a sizable additional skillet over medium heat. Slicing the mushrooms will take about ten minutes to cook them tender. Cook off any liquid and add a generous pinch of salt and pepper (three fingers) along with the fresh thyme. Combine the mushrooms with the caramelized onions and reserve.
5. Mix the eggs, milk, sour cream, salt, and pepper in a medium-sized bowl.
6. Place the toasted cubed bread in a big bowl. Add the bacon crumbles, if using, and the mushroom-onion-thyme mixture to this. Gently mix in the grated cheese and half of the crumbled goat cheese.
7. Add the eggs and stir just enough to combine. Give it five minutes.
8. Repeatedly stir, then transfer into a 4-quart baking dish that has been generously coated with oil. You could refrigerate for the night at this point.
9. Remove the foil, reduce the oven temperature to 375 F, and bake for an additional 20 to 30 minutes, or until the food is puffed and golden. Bake at 400 F for 35 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining goat cheese over the top and allow it to melt during the final ten minutes of baking.
10. Add a few thyme sprigs as a garnish.