Festive Breakfast: Part Seven

The holidays are nearly upon us and, for me, that means trying to find fun ways to entertain. Usually. This year is not typical. I had foot surgery last Friday and now I'm relegated to bed-rest and crutches over the holiday season. Merry Christmas, right? Well, that doesn't mean we can't have our festive gatherings anyway. It just means I need to rely on my dear husband to help me out and otherwise plan things carefully. One of the best ways to do that, I've found, is to think of ways to make food ahead and a good breakfast strata is one of my very favorite ways to do that.

One of the most lovely things about stratas is that they really are a flexible way to make breakfast and brunch foods. There's this pretty standard base of torn bread, eggs, and cream or milk. Then you add chopped vegetables and meat, shredded cheese, fun seasoning mixes, and whatever else your heart desires. You can even top them with dollops of sour cream and sliced green onions once you've got them to the table. They are also fantastic vehicles for your leftovers. This is particularly handy during the holiday season, when you might find yourself in possession of leftover turkey, ham, roasted vegetables, and loads of other holiday regulars. Look in your refrigerator: there's a strata waiting for you!