Simple Cheese Strata

This recipe is one that I found when my daughter (now 21) was just a baby.  I believe it was in a pamphlet that came from the Health Department with suggestions on recipes to use with babies who were just starting out on table food.  I didn’t try it until after my daughter’s first birthday when she outgrew her cow’s milk allergy but it very quickly became one of her favourites.  The following measurements are for a single serving – the size I would make for my infant daughter but my mom (who lived with us part of the time when my daughter was little) and I found that we loved this recipe a great deal as well.  I would simply multiply the ingredients by 6 and that was plenty for us.

Ingredients:

1 tsp. soft butter or margarine

1 slice bread

1/4 cup grated cheese (your choice – I used whatever was on hand)

1 egg

1/4 cup milk

Pinch of dry mustard

Instructions:  Butter the bread and cut into cubes.  Grease a casserole dish (if making a family sized strata) or a custard cup if making an individual serving.  Note:  For a brunch that I hosted once, I made an individual custard cup serving for each guest.  It made for a nice presentation.  In the casserole or custard cup, alternate layers of the bread cubes and cheese, ending with the cheese.  Beat together the egg, milk, and mustard.  Pour this over the bread and cheese.  You can leave as is or give this a gentle stir.  Let it stand 10 minutes to soak in.  Bake this at 350 degrees F for about 20-25 minutes (depending on the size of the dish you are using, you may need slightly more or less time so keep an eye on it – you want the eggs to be set in the center and the cheese to melt) or you can microwave this on high for 1 minute, followed by 3 1/2-4 minutes on medium.  It’s quite tasty both ways but of course in the oven, you get that lovely golden brown aspect to the cheese and a little bit of crunch on top.  If I was whipping up one for a quick lunch or dinner (even breakfast!) for my daughter, I generally did it in the microwave but if serving for adults/making a casserole size strata I generally used the oven.  Let this stand for 2 minutes when you pull it out of the oven before serving.