Recipe: holiday brunch beef strata

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 2 cups milk
• 5 large eggs
• nonstick cooking spray
• 8 cups crustless bread cubes (3/4 inch)
• 2 cups shredded Asiago or fontina cheese
• 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
• thinly sliced fresh basil

Directions

1. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add Ground Beef; cook 8 to 10 minutes, breaking into 3/4-inch crumbles and stirring occasionally. Remove from skillet with slotted spoon; season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside. Pour off drippings from skillet.
   
   Tips from Our Cook: Cooking times are for fresh or thoroughly thawed Ground Beef. Ground Beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F. Color is not a reliable indicator of Ground Beef doneness.<
   
   
2. Heat oil in same skillet over medium heat until hot. Add mushrooms and onion; cook 3 to 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring frequently. Return beef to skillet. Add thyme; cook 3 to 5 minutes or until heated through, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Set aside.
3. Whisk milk, eggs, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper in large bowl until blended.
4. Spray 2-1/2 to 3-quart shallow baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Layer half of bread cubes, 1/2 cup of chees and half of beef mixture in dish. Pour half of egg mixture over top. Top with remaining bread cubes, 1/2 cup cheese and remaining beef and egg mixtures. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Press any dry bread cubes into egg mixture. Cover with aluminum foil; refrigerate 6 hours or as long as overnight.
   
   Tips from Our Cook: To bake strata immediately, heat oven to 350°F. Assemble strata in dish as directed. Bake, covered, 40 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
   
   
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake strata, covered with foil, 55 minutes. Remove foil. Bake, uncovered, 10 to 15 minutes or until puffed and lightly browned. Let stand 5 minutes. Top with tomatoes and basil, as desired.

Cook' s Tips: Day-old or stale, good-quality crusty bread, such as French, Italian or sourdough, is recommended for this recipe.

Cook' s Tips: Two cups shredded Italian cheese blend may be substituted for Asiago or fontina cheese.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Nutrition information per serving: 604 calories; 35 g fat (14 g saturated fat; 10 g monounsaturated fat); 285 mg cholesterol; 1205 mg sodium; 30 g carbohydrate; 2.7 g fiber; 41 g protein; 7.6 mg niacin; 0.5 mg vitamin B6; 3.0 mcg vitamin B12; 5.2 mg iron; 41.7 mcg selenium; 6.4 mg zinc.