Basil Vegetable Strata

I’m starting this recipe post by saying YOU HAVE TO MAKE THIS THE NIGHT BEFORE YOU WANT TO EAT IT. Ok there, I said it. I kept forgetting to make this the night before and the next day, I was SOOL. Luckily I finally remembered last night, so I’ll be eating this for lunch instead of Monday nights dinner. Oops!

Now that I have the prep. out of the way, I cooked it this morning and wooooo was this good! It’s everything you want in a morning bake and a great way to showcase bread! You can even use stale bread (which I think is what makes this even better), so don’t throw it away if yours isn’t good for your morning toast anymore.

By the way, these feeds an entire family and then some. You will definitely have leftovers!

Basil Vegetable Strata

Servings: 4
Time: Prep: 40 min. + chilling; Bake: 1 hour + standing
Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

3 teaspoons canola oil, divided
3/4 pound fresh mushrooms,
1 cup (about 1/2 large) sweet onion, finely chopped
1 large sweet red pepper, cut into strips
1 large sweet yellow pepper, thin strips
1 medium leek, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
10 slices whole wheat bread, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
8 large eggs
4 large egg whites
2-1/2 cups milk (any kind)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Directions

In a large skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; cook and stir 8-10 minutes or until tender. Remove from pan.
In same pan, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir 6-8 minutes or until golden brown. Add onion to mushrooms in separate bowl and set aside.
Add remaining oil to pan. Add peppers, leek, salt and pepper; cook and stir 6-8 minutes or until leek is tender. Stir in sauteed mushrooms and onion and set aside.
In a 13×9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray, layer half of each of the following: bread cubes, vegetable mixture, mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers until it’s all used up.
In a large bowl, whisk eggs, egg whites and milk until blended; pour over layers. Sprinkle with basil. Refrigerate, covered, overnight.
The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove strata from refrigerator while oven heats.
Bake, covered, 50 minutes. Bake, uncovered, 10-15 minutes longer or until lightly browned and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!