We have been delinquent in posting pictures from a brunch extravaganza we held a few weeks ago in honor of some friends who are getting married. What better way to celebrate than to overeat and drink mimosas and bloody mary's in the A.M.?
First we'll show off the spread (because it was pretty awesome). Then we'll get into the details for one of the highlights: Mama Venza's Christmas Strata.
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| Apple pancake |
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| Casserole time: Xmas Strata & French Toast Casserole (x1.5) |
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| Mint Fruit Salad (Yummy Yummy) |
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Mount Bacon (w/ Apple Pancake).
Cast the ring into that mountain, Frodo. |
Now onto one of the star attractions - the Christmas Strata. This is classic Venza recipe, traditionally served Christmas morning. It's easy to make, all the prep work is done the night before, and it's not such a big deal when there's a lot of family over and a lot of chaos going on. Plus, its freaking awesome. It proved to be a huge hit.
Ingredients are pretty basic for a single 9x13 pan - 6 eggs, 1 lb Jimmy
Dean sausage (we like it hot), loaf of French bread, 4 cups milk, Italian seasonings, cheddar & mozzarella. The recipe also calls for mushrooms, but we left those out this time.
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Browning the McSausage. Here at Chez Venza
we overuse the prefix "Mc" for no reason whatsoever. |
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| The French bread has surrendered. |
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| Mix bread cubes & sausage in a casserole dish |
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Whisk the eggs, milk, & seasoning together.
We used a TON of milk and eggs at this event. |
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Pour egg mixture into casserole dish.
Soak, my pretties! SOAK! |
At this point, cover with plastic wrap and let it sit overnight so that the bread can absorb all of the egg mixture. The next morning, pop it in the McOven. We also added some scallions for color. After an hour in the oven, add the cheddar & mozzarella cheese. Then back in the oven for another 15 minutes to finish browning and melting.
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| Rapscallions |
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We made a 1.5x batch so, no, you aren't seeing 1.5x. Do people see 1.5x?
Serve with picante sauce and enjoy! |
My position on the Strata was that I liked it alotta. Great stuff!
ReplyDeleteMy first attempt is in the over right now. Considering I had to wing it on the Italian seasonings (oregano? red wine?) and whether to cover it in the oven or not, I'm a bit apprehensive about the results. If it sucks, you've ruined Bieglermas.
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