Into the “Stratta”sphere

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Make-up Mothers Day Stratta So, yesterday was “Make-up Mothers Day” in our house. Now, before you go thinking that I forgot, or neglected to do anything for Mothers Day for my wife, she was working. Working for a hospital means that she works every third weekend and, as luck would have it, this year her regularly scheduled weekend fell on Mothers Day. After her shift was over we went to a nice party my brother and his girlfriend threw at their new house for all the Moms.

Since my wife had Monday off, we decided that we would spend the day together at home as a family and I would whip up a small feast for her to be served throughout the day. To prepare for Make-up Mothers Day I came up with a menu filled with comfort food type items that I knew my wife would enjoy. Something savory for breakfast, some bruschetta with crostini for a mid day snack, an orange marinated chicken and shrimp pasta dish I made up on the fly a long time ago and a strawberry and pineapple shortcake for dessert.

Last year on my wife’s first Mothers Day I really dropped the ball, culinarily speaking. I’m not going to offer any excuses for my failed performance and my wife even forgot about it until I reminded her about the fritatta that shall not be named. Still, I remembered and it had been eating away at me for a year. Determined for a shot at redemption I thought about doing a fritatta, which I am normally very good at making, but I settled on making a stratta, which is basically a savory bread pudding that is baked in a casserole dish.

The foundation of a stratta is simply day old bread that has been cubed and a custard of whipped egg and cream. From this base you can pretty much take it in any direction you feel like going be it sweet or savory. My wife prefers savory meals for breakfast, so I chose to add ham, onion, green bell pepper and an assortment of cheeses to the stratta I made for her.

Guys, you should definitely give making this a shot for your wives. It takes about 20 minutes to prepare and will need to cook for about 35 to 40 minutes depending on your oven, but it is certainly worth the effort. Here are the basics of what you’ll need to make the stratta I made yesterday:

Hardware:

Oven, preheated to 350 degrees
Medium casserole dish, greased
Frying pan, for a quick sauté of any meats or vegetables
Large mixing bowl
Medium mixing bowl
Whisk
Spatula
Cutting board and knife

Software:

2-3 cups cubed day old bread of choice
4 oz. (half a package) cream cheese (or ricotta cheese, if preferred)
6-8 eggs
½ c. cream, or half-and-half
¾ c. Gruyere chese, grated
¼ c. Parmesan cheese, grated (for topping)
Medium onion, diced
1 Green bell pepper, diced
1 Ham steak, cubed
3-4 bacon slices, crumbled

Assemblage:

Cube the loaf of bread and set aside in the large mixing bowl.
Cook the bacon in the frying pan until crispy, set aside and drain most of the pan drippings.
Add the cubed ham steak into the frying pan with the remaining drippings and cook until browned, then add the onion and green bell pepper until the onions are translucent.
Remove the ham, onion and pepper mixture from heat and let cool.
Put the cream cheese in the medium mixing bowl and soften in the microwave for about thirty second on 50% power, or until completely soft.
Using the whisk, whip the softened cream cheese until smooth while adding cream.
Add the eggs to the cream cheese and cream mixture, and whisk until completely incorporated.
Pour the egg mixture over the cubed bread and mix thoroughly, then add the Gruyere cheese and crumbled bacon.
Add the cooled ham, onion and pepper mix to the large mixing bowl.
Pour the contents of the large mixing bowl into the greased casserole dish.
Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top to create a nice crispy crust.
Bake in oven uncovered on the middle rack for 35 to 40 minutes, checking after about 25 to make sure the custard mixture is setting up.

The stratta is done when you can insert and remove a butter knife cleanly from the center of the pan. If you really want a crispy top, sprinkle a little extra Parmesan on top and turn the broiler on high for three to five minutes.

If you prefer, you can mix things up with different meats or vegetables to create your own version of the stratta. Or, if you want to go sweet, drop the meats, vegetables and cheeses from the software list. You can add sugar, honey or maple syrup to the custard mix to sweeten it up and even a tablespoon or two of melted butter for a little richness. Then you can add chopped pecans or walnuts and some fresh fruit after you’ve folded the custard into the cubed bread. As far as seasoning goes you could toss in some cinnamon or nutmeg, but what would be even better is to mix a 2:1 ratio of granulated sugar to cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle it on the top to form a sweet, crunchy crust.

No matter which way you go, you really can’t lose. This is a fun, easy recipe that you can make your own very easily. So, give it a try, and, if you do, please come back and let me know what you think and what you did different. Enjoy!