Cheese & bacon strata cake – breakfast casserole!

 

Ingredients:

• 300g (10 oz) bacon, diced (or ham)
• 6 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups milk (full cream or low fat)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Black pepper
• 7 cups (packed) any plain bread (preferably slightly stale), cut into 2 cm (1 inch) cubes
• 2 cups shredded cheese (any good melting cheese, such as cheddar, gouda, Monterey Jack, or pepper jack)

Optional garnish:

• Parsley, finely chopped

Instructions:

1. Cook the bacon in a large non-stick frying pan over high heat until lightly browned. Remove from the pan and drain on a paper towel. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon for topping.
2. Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
3. Add the bread cubes, 1 1/2 cups of the cheese, and the cooked bacon to the egg mixture. Mix well.
4. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
5. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F.
6. Generously grease a 20cm/8" springform cake tin with butter.
7. Pour the bread mixture into the prepared cake tin and pat down to compress.
8. Scatter the reserved uncooked bacon and remaining 1/2 cup of cheese over the top.
9. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
10. Remove the foil and bake for a further 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown on top and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
11. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before removing the springform or turning out.
12. Garnish with parsley, if using.
13. Cut into slices and serve.

Notes:

• Any plain bread will work for this recipe, such as white bread, wholemeal bread, baguettes, hamburger buns, or rolls.
• Avoid using artisan dense breads with thick chewy crusts, as they will not work well in this dish.
• If you do not have a springform cake tin, you can use a standard cake pan or a 10"/25cm square baking dish.
• If you know your springform cake tin is prone to leaking, place a baking sheet on the shelf below the cake tin to catch any drips.
• Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for 4-5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.