Heather is a wife and mom of 3. Over on her blog she shares her tips and recipes for helping anyone feel like a rock star in the kitchen. She believes you don’t have to spend hours in the kitchen, have a degree in cooking or spend lots of money on fancy ingredients to make excellent food. She finds that usually just a little know-how, the simplest ingredients taste best.
If you’ve never heard of a strata before, it is similar to a layered casserole and most often served for breakfast or brunch. This combines all the things that we love about breakfast — eggs, potatoes, bacon, ham and bread — into one dish for a hearty meal to get your morning going. For extra veggie love, we suggest tossing in your favorite leafy green like spinach or kale. In just 30 minutes, you can serve up a savory dish to fuel your family for a long day ahead.
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 70 mins
Serves: 8
Ingredients
12 oz bacon, chopped
12 oz cooked ham, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 C potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" squares
1 oz packet Hidden Valley® Original Ranch® Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix
12 slices white bread, cut into 2" squares
3 C medium cheddar cheese
8 lg eggs
3 C milk
½ tsp kosher salt
Directions
- 1. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, remove from pan and drain of all but 2 tbsp of the bacon fat. Add potatoes to the hot bacon drippings and cook until just tender — about 5–7 minutes. Add ham and onion. Cook and stir until onion is tender and stir in ranch dressing packet.
- 2. In a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish, layer half the bread cubes, potatoes mixture, bacon and cheese. Repeat layers of bread, potatoes, meat, and cheese.
- 3. In a large bowl, beat the eggs; add the milk and salt. Pour over all. Cover and chill overnight.
- 4. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 325°F for 65–70 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
Photo Credit: http://www.heatherlikesfood.com