PFC Favourite: Tomato & Cheese Strata Recipe 

• 1 loaf of sandwich bread (preferably whole wheat), cubed into 1 inch pieces
• 4-5 fresh tomatoes, sliced or diced
• 1 1/2 cups grated cheese (cheddar or swiss work well)
• 2 Tbsp. chives, minced or cut with clean scissors OR 3-4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 12 large eggs
• 4 cups milk
• 1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp. paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray or butter a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish.

Place 1/3 of the diced bread in the bottom of the casserole dish. On top of the bread, arrange 1/2 of the tomatoes, sprinkle on 1/3 of the cheese and then sprinkle on 1/2 of the chives (or green onions). Add another layer of bread and top this layer with the remaining tomatoes and cheese. Top the whole thing with the rest of the bread, cheese and chives (or green onions).

In a large bowl (one with a spout works well), whisk the eggs, milk, dijon mustard, paprika, salt and pepper together. Evenly pour this egg mixture over the layered casserole.

You can bake this strata right away for 1 hour (until golden and fluffy) or you can cover and refrigerate it overnight (maximum 2 nights) and then bake it. It makes a great brunch.

Before serving your baked strata, let it sit for about 10-15 minutes to set and then cut it into individual pieces. Serves 10-12.