Winter has gripped New England in its snowy clutches once again, so I feel I should share with you one of my favorite uses of stale bread; Ham & Cheese Strata. I guarantee it will keep you warm and satiated throughout even the fiercest blizzard (assuming you don’t go outside).
Ham and Cheese Strata is good for any meal, but heed my advice; you cannot eat as much of this as you think you might be able to, it has the tendency to expand in your stomach, so a little goes a long way.
You will need:
10 Cups bread cubes (conveniently this is exactly one stale Italian bread loaf from Stop & Shop)
1 lb ham (I use smoked pork shoulder chopped into ½ - 1” cubes)
1 lb shredded cheese (Swiss or sharp Cheddar work great)
½ lb Smoked cheese (Smoked Cheddar or
2 tsp dry mustard
8 Eggs
4 Cups Milk
Butter a 13”x9” glass pan. Layer bread, ham, and shredded cheese until used up. Evenly cover top layer with smoked cheese. Beat eggs, mustard, and milk together and pour over the whole shebang, then cover and refrigerate overnight.
Bake uncovered for 1 hour at 350 degrees, let rest for 30 minutes, then cut and serve.
