Breakfast Strata-Like Dish

This is a variation on Mom's cheese puff, prepared the night before for breakfast or brunch. It lends itself to many variations. Mix and match the variable ingredients to taste. Serves 6 - 8.

Basic Ingredients:

• 6 eggs
• 1 qt. whole milk
• 12 oz. grated cheese - can be a mix of sharp cheddar, jack, mozarella, havarti, whatever.
• 1 loaf good white bread, like English muffin bread, buttered on one side cut in 3/4-in. cutes
• Butter enough to butter a full loaf of bread
• 1 tsp. Worchestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. salt or Beau Mond

Optional Ingredients:

• 12 oz. diced ham
• 8 strips crumbled bacon
• 12 oz. package of cooked, crumbled sausage
• 2 cans green chilies
• 8 oz. frozen sweet corn
• Chopped mushrooms, onions, fresh chilies, bell peppers, scallions, etc.

Directions:

1. Butter each slice of bread & cut bread into 3/4-in cubes.
2. Use 1/2 of bread as layer in bottom of 9" by 13" pan.
3. Cover bread with 3/4 of the cheese and any other ingredients you wish to add.
4. Cover with rest of bread, and sprinkle remainder of the cheese over the top.
5. Mix eggs, milk, and remaining ingredients thoroughly, and pour carefully over the bread.
6. Let ingredients sit in pan overnight, or for at least 8 hours, covered in foil.
7. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
8. Bake for 40 min. covered; uncover and bake for another 30 min.

I can't recall if I've prepared the dish through step 6 and then frozen it, but I may have done so. If I did, it worked fine. Thaw the dish overnight in the refrigerator and follow steps 7 and 8.