Sweet Potato Strata

Happy New Year! As we all settle into the reality of our New Year's resolutions being harder than we anticipated, and wishing it were easier...why not figure out how to make delicious food better for you throughout the year! Fad diets serve a purpose if "weight loss" is one of your 2017 Goals, but they are short-term, and rarely, sustainable--simply because "going to extremes" for long periods of time is the exception rather than the norm when it comes to human beings and their food palate.

Rather than eliminating everything you love, find ways to tweak the recipe to improve nutritional content without sacrificing flavors;and, without losing the pure joy of eating good food. Why not start with this delicious base recipe from Cooking Light--packed full of sweet potatoes, onions, chicken sausage and reduced on the heavy cream and cheese content!

Want to mix up the ingredients--go for it! I used extra sweet potato and added a medium onion to the sausage mix. So, if "trying something new" is one of your New Year's Resolutions...here's a great way to start! 

Sweet Potato Strata

(Adapted from Cooking Light Kid's Cook section)

Equipment:

8"x8" Pyrex Baking Dish

Large Mixing Bowl

Ingredients:

6 slices of Italian Bread, toasted slightly and torn into 1" chunks
1 (8oz)++ sweet potato, microwaved until 'almost done', peeled and cubed 
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
6 oz of bulk chicken sausage or chicken sausage breakfast links, sliced
3/4 cup of Monterrey Jack Cheese, grated and divided
1 3/4 cup of 2% milk
1/4 cup half-and-half
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
5 eggs, slightly beaten
Cooking spray
Maple syrup

Instructions:

1. Wash your hands.

2. Preheat oven 350F degrees.

3. Prep bread and microwave sweet potatoes.

4. Saute sausage and onions. 

5. Combine bread, potatoes and 1/2 of cheese sausage and onions in large mixing bowl.

6. Add slightly beaten eggs, milk, cream and spices mixture to the mixing bowl, and then add to your prepared 8" x 8" baking dish.

7. Let soak x 20 minutes. 

8. Top with remaining cheese, sausage and onions, and cover with lightly sprayed foil.

9. Bake at 350F degrees x 25-30 minutes, then bake another 20 minutes without foil. 

10. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving...then, drizzle with maple syrup, if you are so inclined, and enjoy!

Invite some starving friends over for a late Sunday brunch! Add some fresh fruit and coffee...and, there will be a new place to meet for the weekend!

(Serves: 6 / Serving Size: 1/6th with 2 tsp of syrup / Calories: 336 / Fat 12.8g (5g Sat) / Protein: 18g / Carb: 36 g / Fiber 2 g / Sodium 574 mg)

Tips:

• No Money:
• don't use meat at all--this will reduce fat, calories, salt and money!
• save any stale bread you have in the freezer for when you are making stuffing or strata 
• No Waste:
• sweet potatoes store easily and for a long period 
• great way to save stale last pieces of loaf of bread that no one wants to eat
• No Equipment:
• Large Bowl
• Baking dish
• Skillet
• Large Toaster Oven / Regular oven
• No Skills:
• review some of my early blogs--How To Saute Mushrooms (can use for onions as well)
• can you toast bread?
• can you stir stuff around a bowl?
• if not, you will need to learn some basic skills to make this simple recipe
• No Health
• add more sweet potato
• cut the meat for reduced fat, sodium and calories
• original recipe does not add salt
• original recipe only uses 2% milk--try it without the cream 
• No Time:
• some prep work needed, but easy
• approx 35 minute
• 6 nice servings

Breakfast Strata Aint Bio-Chem

Weekend here? Friday night over? Cafeteria closed? Planning to get some study time in, maybe?

Today's recipe is freshman level difficulty.  Not only a reminder of home and good cookin', it's guaranteed to satisfy and easy to make.

For lower fat content, exchange whole milk for 2% or use reduced fat 2% cheeses, or turkey sausage, and drain/press the sausage throughly after it's been cooked.

You know how to brown hamburger and sauté mushrooms--same techniques with sausage or onions.  Seriously!
Brown. Layer. Mix. Pour. Bake. Eat.

Variations are endless. A few suggestions follow for the gourmet in Jon.
(Adapted from Gale Gand's Breakfast Strata recipe featured in House Beautiful)


*This needs to be refrigerated for at least 4 hours BEFORE baking. Make it the night before, refrigerate and plan for a crowd.*

Equipment:
9" x 13" Pyrex Dish, buttered or sprayed
PAM Spray
Mixing Bowl
Whisk or Electric mixer

Ingredients:
5 cups French, crusty bread
2 cups sharp cheddar, shredded
1 cup (1 lb)sausage, browned and drained
1 cup sautéed mushrooms
10 large eggs
1 quart whole milk (can use 2% milk)
1 tsp dry mustard ( or 1/4 tsp Dijon)
1 tsp salt

Instructions:
1. Wash your hands.

2. Prepare the ingredients:
a. Tear crusty bread into chunks
b. Brown your meats and drain fat.
c. Shred your cheese
d. Prep any other ingredients (roast garlic, saute mushrooms, caramelize onions)

3. Butter the Pyrex dish.
4. Layer torn bread chunks into Pyrex
5. Sprinkle shredded cheese over bread

(You can layer filling ingredients prior to soaking with custard as well.  It's all going to be mixed together anyhow.)

6. Prepare the custard in large mixing bowl:
a. Whisk eggs, milk, mustard, salt
b. Pour over bread-cheese layer

7. Sprinkle sausage & mushrooms over egg mixture and fold in gently

8. Cover and chill at least 4hrs, up to 24 hrs.

9. When ready to bake:
a. Heat oven to 350 degrees
b. Bake uncovered x 60 minutes
c. It should puff up and should not have any shiny, uncooked custard visible..

10. Cover with foil if browning too quickly
11. Allow to cool x 5 minutes

Want to explore other  filling combo options?
Here are a few suggestions for the more adventurous:

1. Ham, Swiss, and Caramelized Onions
A. 1 cup Canadian ham, diced
B. 2 cups Swiss cheese, grated
C. 1/2 cup Caramelized onions

(Saute sliced onions in 2 Tbls butter and 1-2 tsp of olive oil on medium heat for about 20 minutes.  Really no different than the mushrooms you have learned to make.)

Assemble as above: cheese on bread , then custard, then fold in ham and sprinkle onions on top. Bake.

2. Substitute cooked crumbled bacon for sausage, if you like one over the other.

3. Fontina Cheese, Spinach, Sautéed Mushrooms, (and Roasted Garlic.)
A. 2 cups Fontina, grated
B. 1 cup frozen spinach, over egg mix
C. 1 cup sautéed mushrooms

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