the erik estrata

Brunch, prosciutto and goat cheese are three of my favorite things in life and combining them all into one delicious meal of deliciousness is this recipe - a prosciutto and goat cheese strata. (In our house it's also known as the Erik Estrata.) I made it for Easter brunch this year and the fluffy bread chunks were the perfect consistency for Matteo, who gobbled up almost all of the leftovers. (The neighborhood ducks will soon be gobbling up that baggie full of bread crusts.)


Prosciutto and Goat Cheese Strata
from Madison Magazine

Ingredients:
18 slices firm white bread (such as English muffin or sourdough), crusts removed
6 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced
8 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
4 ounces provolone, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped green onions
6 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
5 large eggs
2 1/2 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter, melted
pepper to taste

Directions:
- Line bottom of 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish completely with 1 layer of bread, cutting some slices to fit. Arrange half of prosciutto evenly over bread. Sprinkle half of goat cheese and layer half of provolone over prosciutto. Sprinkle with half of green onions and half of basil. Top with second layer of bread. Layer remaining prosciutto, goat cheese, provolone, green onions and basil atop bread. Cut remaining bread into 1/4-inch cubes. Sprinkle over top.

- Whisk eggs, milk, mustard, and salt in bowl. Season with pepper. Pour egg mixture over strata; press down on bread with spatula. Drizzle melted butter over strata. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Uncover strata and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Bake until center is set, about 1 hour. Remove from oven. Preheat broiler. Place strata under broiler until top is golden, about 30 seconds. Cut into large squares and serve.