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Apple season continues full speed ahead with this Apple Cheddar Bacon Breakfast Strata

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We felt we could use a savory break from the recent apple cake and apple crisp – hard to believe, I know, but true – and we happened to have a loaf of bread that was getting dry. This eggy, fruity, cheesy, bacony strata melts in your mouth. You’ll love it for breakfast or brunch … or anytime you damn well feel like it, because it’s utter perfection when baked, refrigerated, and microwaved.

Serves 6

Ingredients

Directions

1. Grease an 8×8 baking pan with bacon fat or butter; set aside. Place the eggs, milk, salt, pepper, (Worcestershire), and mustard into a mixing bowl or pitcher and mix it thoroughly; set aside. Next, create three layers in the following manner:

1. Line the bottom of the pan with a layer of bread. Make sure to leave no gaps in the layer, tearing off small pieces of bread or crumbling some of it into crumbs as necessary, to fill them in. Pour just enough of the egg mixture over the bread to moisten all of it. Distribute half the apples over the eggy bread. Cover that with half the cheddar, then a third of the rosemary, and then half the bacon.
2. Lay down another layer of bread. Take an opportunity to push down on the whole thing, to compress it somewhat, and to help ensure that it’s level. Pour enough of the egg mixture over the bread to moisten all of it thoroughly. Then build the rest of the layer: the rest of the apples, all the gouda, another third of the rosemary, and the rest of the bacon.
3. Top it off with another layer of bread. Press down again. Pour the remainder of the egg mixture over the bread. Cover that with the remaining rosemary and cheddar.

2. Cover tightly with foil. Place it in the refrigerator overnight (or see “options” paragraph). 3. The next morning, pop it into a preheated 350°F oven for 35 minutes, then remove the foil and continue baking for 25 minutes, or until the top has browned. Remove from the oven and let rest until cold (or see “options” paragraph).
4. Cover with foil and place in the refrigerator overnight. 5. The next day, whenever you’re hungry, cut the strata into six pieces, and microwave each piece for 2 minutes with full-on nuclear power.

Options:

OK, so the observant among you have realized that it takes three days to make this strata. That seems like a long time, and it is … but once you’re done, it’ll just sitting there, waiting for you for several days. And it’s absolutely at it’s best when microwaved. If you’d prefer to do this much more quickly, you do have some options:

1. You can reduce the pre-bake chill time to as little as two hours. Letting the egg mixture soak into the bread improves the strata’s texture and makes it seem soufflé-like; with less of it, you’ll be more aware of the bread – which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially if you’ve used a delicious bread.
2. You can eliminate the post-bake chill time altogether. Let the strata rest for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting into it. The apples will be a little bit on the crunchy side, but not overly so, and the flavors, although still delicious, won’t be as melded as they will eventually will be. You could compensate for the crunchiness of the apples by briefly sautéing them before assembling the strata  – just enough to lightly soften them without fully cooking them.

Notes:

Apple Cheddar Bacon Breakfast Strata

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Want more savory apple dishes? See Also:

Stuffed Apples – Gruyère-Apple Tarts – Savory Apple Pull-Apart Bread with Horseradish Butter

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This recipe was featured on Kitchen Daily.
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