Enjoy the taste of summer for breakfast or brunch with these Muffin Pan Stratas with Basil and Sun-Dried Tomatoes!
A couple of weeks ago I received the latest King Arthur Flour catalog and was immediately smitten with the photo on the cover. It was a pane bianco, a figure-eight-shaped cheesy Italian bread that’s studded with sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil and baked to perfection.
I followed the recipe to the last detail. Womp. Womp.
The first time I mixed everything together, I made the mistake of using the amount of flour called for in the recipe. As soon as it came together, I knew I had a bomb on my hands. The dough was so tough I could barely knead it. So, I tossed it and started over.
The second time, I used two-thirds of the flour and added in only what was necessary. The result was a lovely, silky dough. I waited eagerly for it to rise and I thought I was well on my way to bread-baking success.
Although the bread rose beautifully, I didn’t get the beautiful ridges and speckles of basil and sun-dried tomatoes. Oh well. Even people who cook for a living have recipe fails. (Facebook cellphone photo below.)
Because it didn’t look like the photo, no one wanted to try it even though it tasted great! So, I made lemonade out of lemons! Or, shall I say, I made strata–individual Muffin Pan Stratas with Basil and Sun-Dried Tomatoes.
If you have a bread-baking disaster or just have some bread you want to use, a strata is the perfect way to use it.
What is a strata?
- A strata is a dish made up of layers of bread, cheese and meat or vegetables. A custard made with eggs and milk is poured over it and then it’s refrigerated before baking so the bread soaks up the custard.
Because the bread already had basil, sun-dried tomatoes and cheese, I just added more.
How to make Muffin Pan Stratas with Basil and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Cube the bread and place it into a bowl. Add the the basil, sun-dried tomatoes and cheese and divide equally into the muffin cups.
- Combine the eggs and milk and pour over the bread. Cover and let sit in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.
- Then bake!
- Run a knife around the rims of the muffin cups and they’ll pop right out!
Garnish with fresh basil and you’ve got a lovely taste of summer for breakfast or brunch!
Want another great strata recipe? Try my Four Cheese Strata with Zucchini and Tomatoes. Another perfect summer breakfast or brunch dish!
Muffin Pan Stratas with Basil and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 5 cups cubed Italian or French bread, packed
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
- 2 cups shredded Italian blend cheese, Mozzarella or Fontina
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 6 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cups whole milk or half-and-half
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 12-muffin muffin pan with cooking spray.
Combine cubed bread, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, cheese and salt and black pepper in a large bowl and toss to evenly distribute ingredients. Press even amounts of the mixture into each muffin cup.
Whisk together eggs and milk or half-and-half. Season with salt and black pepper.
Carefully pour into each muffin cup over the bread mixture.
Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until puffed, golden and set. Loosen stratas from sides of pan with a thin knife and serve immediately.
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