The holidays mean good food, cold nights and visitors. Years ago, our house swarmed with relatives and friends. We popped open card tables, ironed dozens of cloth napkins, and collected leaves from the front lawn in preparation for an after-feast soccer match.
Now, Ryan and I live in Austin—thousands of miles away from my parents and sisters. As much as I’d like to travel to Colorado for Thanksgiving, this year we’re staying in Texas.
But no tears need to be shed! We’re blessed to have family in Houston, and we’ll drive to my Aunt Sherry’s house for the big day. And in the weeks to come? We’ll entertain friends and visitors. Opening our doors, Ryan and I will brew pots of tea, bake dozens of cookies, and insist, “No really, you should stay the night.”
In the mornings, I’ll make something simple—a dozen muffins and scrambled eggs. Or maybe, I’ll turn to this share-worthy breakfast strata—a simple yet delicious morning meal. Day-old bread, milk and eggs are the key players in this casserole. Throw in a few vegetables, some cheese, sausage and spices…and your guests will be drooling, even more thankful they forewent the Holiday Inn. For my breakfast strata, I used an Italian style seitan. I pleased vegetarians and omnivores alike.
This breakfast strata takes less than 20 minutes to prepare and the clean-up is negligible. With to-do lists growing and complicated recipes abounding, simplicity is much in demand during these holiday months.
So if you have an extra loaf of bread, or even a dozen rolls, make this breakfast strata over the weekend. Your house will smell heavenly and your guests (and your own stomach) will thank-you.
Vegetarian Breakfast Strata6 cups day old bread (cut and cube slices or rolls)
1 package seitan or 1 package Italian sausage (cooked)
1 green bell pepper (diced)
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1-2 cups cheddar cheese (we went with 2 cups)
10 eggs
3 cups of milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 13 x 9 inch baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine bread cubes, sausage, bell pepper, green onions and cheddar cheese (reserving some cheese to sprinkle on top). In a smaller bowl, whisk together eggs and milk.
3. Arrange bread cube mixture in baking pan. Pour egg mixture over eggs and sprinkle cheese on top.
4. Bake for 1 hour.
Always,
Monet
Anecdotes and Apple Cores
