Broccoli, Mushroom, and Cheese Breakfast Strata

Have you ever made or eaten a strata? Or maybe you haven't even heard of it before.

Well all you need to know is that it is the perfect clean-out-your-fridge use-up-leftovers recipe. And that's exactly what I did. So as a result, I made several substitutions. Here's what I used in my version of this week's CEiMB Broccoli, Mushroom and Cheese Breakfast Strata (chosen by A mid-life culinary adventure):

From the freezer - whole wheat sandwich bread and chopped spinach

From the refrigerator - red bell pepper, feta, Parmesan, eggs, milk, and Dijon

From the pantry - oil, salt, pepper, and garlic

From the garden - thyme

All I had to buy from the store were mushrooms and an onion!

I love eggs for dinner. I make an omelet or frittata about once a week. Its perfect for when you've had a particularly "carby" day and don't feel like having a salad (remember Bethenny's "account" balancing?).

I halved the recipe and served it for dinner tonight...we are watching the final game of the CWS! Geaux Tigers!

Oh, and by the way...Hil took all of the pics. Now if she would just read my blog, she would get to see them!

Broccoli, Mushroom, and Cheese Breakfast Strata -

• Per serving - 250 calories, 12 g fat (3.5 saturated), 17 g carbohydrates, 4 g fiber, 21 g protein (exchanges: 2 fats, 2 1/2 protein, 1 starch, 1 vegetable)
• Notes - Make sure you realize that the strata must rest/soak for at least 8 hours...plan ahead; I used sandwich bread (which is not as crusty as a baguette) so I had to toast the bread cubes...200 degrees for at least an hour; use any cheese you like - I used about 2 oz feta instead of mozzarella (remember I halved the recipe); use any veggies you like - I used 1/2 an onion, 1/2 a red bell pepper, 8 oz of mushrooms (I didn't halve the mushrooms! I love them too much!), 1 cup frozen spinach (thawed and squeezed to release as much water as possible...which resulted in about 1/2 cup of spinach in the end); I seasoned the veggies with salt and pepper while they were sauteing and then added less S&P to the egg mixture; I had to cover the strata with foil half-way through the baking time because it was browning too quickly
• My thoughts - Like I said before I love egg dishes for dinner, and this one hit the spot! I would definitely make this again...with a different vegetable/cheese combination, depending on what I need to use up! It was a little dry, so I might add a little more milk next time. Hilary thought it would be good with marinara...we didn't have any so she used ketchup (GROSS!). The serving size is really big and all for 250 calories...you could have more if you wanted! Or serve it with a salad (green salad if you are having it for dinner...fruit salad for breakfast/brunch). Or just have one serving and then go get frozen yogurt for a treat, like I'm about to!