Christmas Breakfast Strata

Happy New Year! Here is a great breakfast recipe to file away for a special holiday. The beauty of this recipe is that you put it all together the night before and bake it the next morning. I made this again this past Christmas and it's now a family favorite.

Breakfast Strata with Potatoes, Rosemary, and Fontina

Makes one 8 by 8-inch strata and serves 6

8 - 10 slices of supermarket French bread (1/2-inch thick) or Italian bread (6 - 7 ounces)

5 tablespoons unsalted butter softened

12 ounces new potatoes (about 2 medium), cut into 1/2-inch cubes

3 medium shallots minced (about 1/3 cup)

2 medium cloves of garlic minced or pressed through garlic press

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh rosemary minced

1/2 cup medium-dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc

6 ounces Fontina cheese grated (about 1 1/2 cups)

6 large eggs

1 3/4 cups half and half

2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves minced

Directions:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 225 degrees. Arrange bread in single layer on large baking sheet and bake until dry and crisp, about 40 minutes, turning slices over halfway through drying time. (Alternatively, leave slices out overnight to dry.) When cooled, butter slices on one side with 2 tablespoons butter; set aside.

2. Bring 1 quart water to boil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat; add 1 teaspoon salt and boil potatoes until just tender when pierced with tip of paring knife, about 4 minutes; drain potatoes.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat and cook potatoes until just beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and translucent, about 1 minute longer; add garlic and rosemary and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer mixture to medium bowl; season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside. Add wine to skillet, increase heat to medium-high, and simmer until reduced to 1/4 cup, 2 to 3 minutes; set aside.

4. Butter 8-inch square baking dish with remaining 1 tablespoon butter; arrange half the buttered bread slices, buttered-side up, in single layer in dish. Sprinkle half of potato mixture, then 1/2 cup grated cheese evenly over bread slices. Arrange remaining bread slices in single layer over cheese; sprinkle remaining potato mixture and another 1/2 cup cheese evenly over bread. Whisk eggs and parsley in medium bowl until combined; whisk in reduced wine, half-and-half, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Pour egg mixture evenly over bread layers; cover surface flush with plastic wrap, weigh down (see note, above), and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

5. Remove dish from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature 20 minutes. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Uncover strata and sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese evenly over surface; bake until both edges and center are puffed and edges have pulled away slightly from sides of dish, 50 to 55 minutes (or about 80 minutes for doubled recipe).

Cool on wire rack 5 minutes; serve. *Source: Cooks Illustrated