Recipe of The Month: Ham and Asparagus Strata

Advertisement

Cooking spray
12-16 ( ½ inch thick) slices of French or Italian bread (about 4 oz)
1 cup (4oz) shredded low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella or Italian blend cheese, divided
1 cup (4oz) chopped, cooked lean ham, divided
8 ounces fresh asparagus spears cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
6 eggs
1 cup skim or low-fat milk
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Evenly coat 8-inch square baking dish with spray. Layer half of the bread slices on bottom of dish. Sprinkle with ½ cup of cheese, ½ cup of ham and 1 cup of asparagus pieces. Cover with remaining bread slices, laying them flat or in a shingled pattern. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, ham and asparagus spears. In medium bowl, beat together eggs, milk, lemon juice and garlic powder. Pour evenly over layers. Cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on full power 5 minutes. Rotate dish ¼ turn. Microwave on 50% power, rotating dish ¼ turn each 3-5 minutes, until thermometer inserted near center reads 160 F and/ or knife near center comes out clean, about 10-12 minutes. Conventional Oven: Prepare strata as above. Cover dish with aluminum foil. Bake in preheated 350 F oven until thermometer inserted near center reads 160 F and/ or knife inserted near center comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes.

Author: American Egg Board