| 7 | cups lightly packed 1-inch cubes French bread (8 oz) |
| 2 | cups shredded Cheddar cheese (8 oz) |
| 2 | cups chopped roma (plum) tomatoes (6 medium) |
| 6 | eggs |
| 1 1/2 | cups milk |
| 1 | teaspoon Dijon mustard |
| 1 | teaspoon dried basil leaves |
| 1/2 | teaspoon salt |
| 6 | slices bacon |
| 1. | Spray 13x9-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. Spread bread in baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with 1 1/2 cups of the cheese; mix lightly with bread. Sprinkle with tomatoes. |
| 2. | In medium bowl, beat eggs, milk, mustard, basil and salt with fork or wire whisk; pour over bread mixture. Cover tightly and refrigerate at least 2 hours but no longer than 24 hours. |
| 3. | Heat oven to 350°F. Bake uncovered 40 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Meanwhile, in 10-inch skillet, cook bacon over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until crisp; drain on paper towel. |
| 4. | Crumble bacon. Sprinkle bacon and remaining 1/2 cup cheese over strata. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. |
| No changes. |
|
| Roma tomatoes aren’t as juicy as regular slicing tomatoes, but they hold their shape better during baking and cooking. |
|
| For a holiday brunch, serve this breakfast casserole with sliced quick breads and a citrus fruit salad sprinkled with pomegranate seeds. |
|
| Instead of sprinkling with shredded cheese, arrange star-shaped cheese cutouts on top of the strata. |
Nutrition Information:
210 ( 110); 12g ( 6g, 0g); 130mg; 460mg; 13g ( 0g, 3g); 12g 10%; 4%; 15%; 6% 1 ; 0 ; 0 ; 1 1/2 ; 1/2 1