Heaven is waking up to the smell of smoky bacon, savory cheese, zesty sausage, golden toast, and perfectly cooked eggs.
And of course, heaven means not having to lift a finger to prepare it ... at least not first thing in the morning while you're still groggy and your tummy is grumbling! This strata is basically an egg bake with layered ingredients, it only takes 10 minutes of prep, can be made the night before, and thanks to the trusty slow cooker, can be ready and waiting for you the next morning.
Of course, if you prefer you can always get up an hour earlier to prepare your sausage, bacon, eggs and toast. Totally your call. But for those of us who'd rather get every additional minute of sleep possible (ME), this dish is right up your alley.
And for those of you with kids, this may just do the trick in trying to get the little ones to eat a few veggies. My kiddos are going through a really picky eating phase right now – they see veggies and run the other way. I was thrilled when I saw them dig into this dish. SCORE! The hubs loved it too, and so will you.
Bring on the strata!
You’ll need eggs, milk, cubed French bread, red bell peppers, onions, cheddar cheese, and sausage (you can substitute bacon, or go crazy and use both).
Lightly spray the bottom of the slow cooker with vegetable oil. Take three pieces of aluminum foil, each one about 3-4 inches larger than the diameter of your slow cooker. Fold two into thirds and place them crisscross on the bottom of your slow cooker and partly up the sides. This is going to provide reinforcement when you lift out the finished egg bake.
Place the third sheet on top and partly up the sides.
Place the eggs in a large mixing bowl.
Whisk in the milk, salt and pepper until thoroughly combined.
Place half of the bread cubes in the bottom of the slow cooker.
Place half of the following in order: Sausage or bacon (or better yet, both!), red bell pepper, green onions, and cheese.
Repeat with the second half of ingredients, ending with the cheese. Pour the egg mixture over the top. Close the lid and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours.
Serve directly from the slow cooker…
Or lift out the strata by the tinfoil and place it on a serving platter, then remove the foil.
Imagine that...looking forward to getting up in the morning because you have a fabulous breakfast waiting!
Visit Kimberly's food blog, The Daring Gourmet, for more fabulous eats!