Egg McMuffin Strata

Brunch is the bastard child of breakfast and lunch that has been embraced by generations of food-loving, cocktail-indulgent adults.  It’s the perfect excuse to have a drink before noon and keep drinking on the holy day of Sunday.  It’s also the easiest party to throw:  coffee, two specific cocktails, an egg-y casserole, and fruit and you are done.  And if it’s a potluck, it’s even easier:  ask others to bring fruit, pasta salad, bacon… all you have to have are the beverages and some kind of egg-based goodness.

I’ve experimented with many different egg casseroles over the years.  There was the Paula Dean “This-might-actually-kill-me” casserole, the sausage and egg casserole, and lots of quiche or boxing day pie (casserole with a crust).  This weekend, I decided to experiment with a recipe from Martha Stewart, the Canadian-Bacon strata.  Or as I have dubbed it, the “Egg McMuffin Strata.”  It’s fantastic:  You can make it ahead of time and it comes out so bubbly and gorgeous.  I upped the cheese to two cups of sharp cheddar, added extra tabasco and pepper, and let it soak overnight.  The strata rises considerably, so make sure you put it in a very deep baking dish, at least 2qt.  It’s really a fantastic dish that I think would do really well Christmas morning.  

Mmm… tasty.

Next Sunday:  Farmer’s market, then dim sum in Silver Spring.

Sunday Brunch = Alternative to Church?