Ham & Cheddar Strata

Once posted as part of an advent calendar, I still feel this is a great recipe that can make a great make-ahead breakfast dish.  You can freeze individual servings and enjoy for a quick breakfast or lunch.

8 oz. thinly sliced deli ham

3 cups reduced-fat (2%) milk
7 large eggs
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 loaf French bread (about 12 oz.), cut into 14-in. slices
8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
1 Tbsp. snipped fresh chives

Directions:

Spray 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Line dish with ham. In large bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, mustard, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper until well blended.

Arrange half of bread slices, overlapping slightly, on bottom of prepared dish. Pour half of milk mixture over bread. Sprinkle with half of cheddar. Repeat layering. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove plastic wrap and bake strata 50 to 55 minutes or until golden and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes. Garnish with chives. Makes 6 main-dish servings

To find any recipe featured this month - use the search box and type: ShrHamMay

To find any theme recipe from this year type: recipe2018

For 2018 the monthly recipe themes will be:

   January - Chicken Soup (ChickJan)

   February - Beef Stew (StewFeb)

   March - Jambalaya (JambMar)

   May - Ham and Shrimp Dishes (ShrHamMay)

   June - Bread recipes

   July - Garden Delights

   August- Grilling

   September - Salsa, Corn and Jelly

   October - Squash Dishes

   November - Pumpkin Recipes

   December - Herbal Cocktails