Brie and Egg Strata

A great vegetarian brunch recipe. It’s quite often part of our Easter brunch.
– Terry

Source: Cooking Light magazine, November 2006

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1½ cups diced unpeeled Yukon gold potato (1 large)
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1 cup halved grape tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• ¾ pound ciabatta, cut into 1-inch cubes, toasted
• Cooking spray
• 4 ounces Brie cheese, rind removed and chopped
• 1 cup egg substitute
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups 1% low-fat milk
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  

Instructions

Do-it-ahead tip: The night before, assemble and layer the casserole without the egg mixture (steps 1 and 2); cover and refrigerate. Combine the egg mixture (step 3) and refrigerate in a separate container. In the morning, pour the egg mixture over the bread mixture; allow the strata to stand for 30 minutes before baking.

Substitute a French baguette or sourdough loaf for the flat Italian bread, ciabatta, if desired. Freeze the Brie for about 15 minutes to make chopping easier.

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, potato, and bell pepper; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Stir in tomatoes; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt. Combine onion mixture and bread.

2. Place half of bread mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with half of Brie. Top with remaining bread mixture and remaining Brie.

3. Place egg substitute and eggs in a medium bowl. Add remaining ½ teaspoon salt, herbes de Provence, and pepper. Add milk, stirring with a whisk until well blended.

4. Preheat oven to 350°. Pour egg mixture over bread mixture. Let stand 30 minutes.   

5. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until set.  Sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.

Yield:  12 servings (serving size: 1 piece)