Ellie’s Sunday Strata Recipe

Cheese sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
2½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
½ teaspoon salt
1⁄8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup shredded American cheese

Strata:
Vegetable oil or nonstick cooking spray
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup diced lean ham or Canadian bacon
¼ cup chopped green onions
12 eggs, beaten
¼ pound sliced mushrooms
¼ cup melted butter
2¼ cups 1-inch bread cubes
Paprika

1. To prepare the cheese sauce, melt butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Blend in flour and cook 1 minute, whisking constantly. Gradually add milk; cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Add salt, pepper and cheese, stirring until mixture is smooth.
2. Oil a 13-by-9-inch glass baking dish or coat it with cooking spray. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Add ham and green onions and sauté until ham is lightly browned and onions are tender. Add eggs and cook over medium-high heat, stirring to form large soft curds. When eggs are set, stir in mushrooms and cheese sauce.
3. Spoon egg mixture into baking dish. Combine melted butter and bread cubes, mixing well; spread evenly over egg mixture. Sprinkle lightly with paprika. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The Next Day
4. Preheat oven to 350F and remove dish from refrigerator.
5. Bake strata, uncovered, about 30 minutes, until thoroughly heated and lightly browned on top. Serves 12.

Recipe reprinted with permission from Carol Gordon’s Sleep On It (Hyperion, 2006).

Nutrition facts per serving: 260 calories, 19g fat, 14g protein, 9g carbohydrates, 0g fiber, 450mg sodium.