Ham-and-Cheese Brioche Pudding

Adjusting strata to any dish size: 1 part milk + 1 part eggs + 1 part cheese + 1 part add-ins (optional) + 2 parts bread

11 x 11 = 121 square inches; a 9 x 13 pan is 117 sq in. Seems like a reasonable substitute.

It would be nice if recipes called for standard size baking dishes - 8x8, 9x9, 9x11, 9x13, and so on. Who had 11x11? I've never heard of it.

3 eggs with a quart of milk is sufficient to get a decent custard. 6 eggs with a quart of half and half is much richer. 3 to 6 eggs with 1 to 2 cans of evaporated milk will be cheaper and produce more consistent results. I know to be properly upper middle class I should say fresh milk is better, but it's NOT. For baking, evaporated milk produces better, and more consistent results.

You could use a 9x13, which is 117 square inches, as a substitute for the 11x11, which is 121 square inches. The only real difference between the two is that the 9x13 would have more edges and the 11x11 more middle area. Personally, I like the crusty edges of casserole type dishes better than the soft middle.

I use to make a version of this when I had my bakery. It is actually ham and cheese bread pudding. Used the bread I had in the bakery that was a day or two old as long as it is a little bit on the dry side to absorb all the liquid. Use a variety of cheeses in this mix. available. I made these in individual portions, using a giant muffin pan and the liners which fit them. Also added rubbed sage and granulated garlic to the mix. No salt though, there is plenty in the ham and cheese.

Recipes like this are simply guides. Fill your baking dish with bread, cut the eggs and milk by a third, pour it in, then add more if necessary. This isn't baking that calls for precise amounts.

I used challah instead of brioche and added some cooked asparagus to the ham and cheese. I also prepped it the night before, permitting the custard to infuse the remaining ingredients. I let it sit fon the counter for about an hour before I baked it. It had wonderful flavor. I agree with the other comments about the baking dish size. I used a large oval casserole disk. It worked well.

For what it's worth, here is how I made this dish. 1. Toasted the brioche first (allows bread to soak up custard without getting soggy). 2. Sliced and caramelized two yellow onions; tossed with bread. 3. Subbed sautéed prosciutto for ham. 4. Put all the dry ingredients in first, then poured the milk and egg mixture over the top. Served it for guests with a spinach salad on the side, Sauvignon Blanc to drink. People were very happy!

Some would say Strata is a posh name for a bread pudding. Who cares.

It's not easier than a quiche, but it is more delicious! My late mother, and now I, made a recipe out of one of the southern Junior League cookbooks from the 1970's, for Cheese Strata. It is similar to the above recipe, but it does require that the bread be soaked overnight in the milk/cream mixture, and it has no ham or onions. It is fabulous! And it reheats really very well.

Please use a consistent naming convention for these egg/bread/cheese&milk savory dishes. The multiplicity of names makes them very hard to look up. I recommend strata, but it doesn't matter which name actually gets used, just so long as one works.

Excellent. It really is quiche - if quiche were made of clouds. I only had 5 eggs, but no problem. And I used 2 cups of half and half and 1 and 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream because that's what I had on hand. Then I used smoked gouda and uncured black forest ham. The scallions are a must. Excellent. I think adding thick slices of tomato on top halfway through the cooking time would be good. A layer of firmer bread on the bottom might be good too, to give structure and a variety of texture.

Ha. This is great. I'm from Michigan and we've been making the exact same recipe for ages, with one exception, we call it Egg Soufflé. Try a version with mushrooms if you want to skip the ham.

You can prepare all the way to step 3, then keep it refrigerated overnight. Next morning, just pop it into oven. Be careful if using glass baking dish as the sudden temperature difference from the fridge to oven may cause it to break. Either let it sit out of fridge at least 30mins in advance or better pop it cold into a cold oven (perhaps add 10 mins more to baking time if needed).