Jim Hagy from The Chef’s Market made a Christmas Strata and a Christmas Morning Frittata, two holiday breakfast or brunch ideas. Chef's Market Catering & Restaurant is located at 900 Conference Dr., Goodlettsville, TN 37072. For more information or menu details visit www.chefsmarket.com or call (615) 851-2433. Look for Chef’s Market on Facebook and @chefs_market on Twitter and Instagram.
Chef's Market Christmas Strata
Ingredients
6 slices bacon, diced
4 oz (about 4 links) breakfast sausage (out of casing)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 c. grape tomatoes
1/4 c. mini peppadew (or chopped large peppadew)
4 c. spinach
8 eggs
3 c. heavy cream
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 green pepper, cut into strips (stagger the sizes)
Red bell Pepper, for garnish: using a star mold, cut a 1” five-point star or free hand cut
½ loaf Italian bread, sliced into 2-inch cubes, about 4 cups
Directions
1. Grease a large 9 x 13” baking dish with butter.
2. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add chopped bacon and sausage. Cook bacon until crisp and sausage is cooked through.
3. Remove bacon and sausage from the pan and set aside. Pour off all but one teaspoon of fat from the pan. Add the onion and cooked until soft and golden brown.
4. Add tomatoes and cook until tomatoes start to soften and spinach wilts, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Remove about 3/4 of the spinach for garnish.
5. In a large bowl beat eggs with heavy cream, dijon and salt and pepper. Add in cheese, bread, bacon, sausage, and the onion spinach mixture. Do not add the spinach garnish. Wrap the strata and refrigerate overnight.
6. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. While preheating, remove the plastic wrap from the casserole pan.
7. Optional : Cut the green pepper in staggering lengths. On top of the strata build a Christmas tree with the bottom being the largest piece. Space another 1/2 inch above the bottom continuing the same pattern with small pepper strips each time. Do this until you "build a tree" from the bell pepper slices. Place the red pepper star at the top. Fill in the space between the pepper with the reserved spinach. Use a toothpick to stir into the egg mixture. "Decorate" the tree with the mini peppadew.
8. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes, then uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes.
Christmas Morning Frittata
Ingredients
½ c. thick-cut bacon (diced)
¾ c. sausage
¼ c. chopped scallions
8 button mushrooms (optional)
1/2 pint grape tomatoes
2 c. fresh spinach
2 cloves garlic (minced)
8 large eggs
¼ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ c. heavy cream
1 c. sharp cheddar cheese
2 TBSP grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 375-degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Cook the bacon and sausage in a 10” non-stick oven-safe skillet over medium heat until the bacon is crisp and the sausage is cooked. Drain off most of the liquid fat.
3. Add the scallions and sliced mushrooms, and cook for a few minutes. Toss in spinach and garlic and cook a couple minutes longer.
4. Whisk the eggs, heavy cream, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in cheddar cheese. Pour the egg mixture over the other ingredients in the pan.
5. Bake for 13 minutes, or until slightly jiggly in the center. Don't overcook.
6. Remove the pan from the oven, sprinkle with grated parmesan and cook and additional two minutes. Cool slightly, and garnish with chopped parsley if desired before serving.
Notes
· This can be made the night before and reheated the next day. If you really want to prep ahead, make this and freeze it to reheat. It will last in the freezer for up to three months.