Strata is the perfect breakfast for a Sunday morning or when you have overnight guests. Make this early in the morning or the day before and for a fun variation, try using sausage or pork and mushrooms instead.

ingredients
    Nonstick cooking spray
8    strips  bacon, crisp-cooked, drained, and chopped
1    9 ounce   package frozen cut asparagus, thawed and well-drained
3/4   cup   bottled roasted red sweet peppers, drained and chopped
12    slices  dry white bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 8 cups)
3    cups   shredded Swiss cheese (12 ounces)
8      eggs
3    cups   milk
1 1/2   teaspoons   dry mustard or 3 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
1/2   teaspoon   salt
1/4   teaspoon   cayenne pepper
directions
Lightly coat a 3-quart rectangular baking dish with cooking spray; set aside. In a medium bowl combine bacon, asparagus, and red peppers.
Place half of the bread cubes in the prepared baking dish. Top with half of the bacon mixture and half of the cheese. Repeat layers with remaining bread cubes, bacon mixture, and cheese.
In a large bowl, beat eggs with a rotary beater or whisk. Beat or whisk in milk, mustard, salt, and cayenne pepper. Carefully pour egg mixture evenly over bread mixture in dish. Using the back of a spoon, gently press down on layers to moisten all of the bread. Cover dish with plastic wrap and chill 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Bake, uncovered, for 50 to 60 minutes or until puffed, golden, and set. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Variation
Pork, Pepper & Mushroom Strata:
Prepare as directed, except replace bacon with 1 pound uncooked bulk pork or Italian sausage and replace asparagus with 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms. Cook sausage and mushrooms in a large skillet until sausage is brown; drain off fat. Stir red peppers into mixture in skillet. Use 3 cups shredded American or cheddar cheese in place of the Swiss cheese.

Make Ahead Tip
Make-Ahead Tip
To make ahead, prepare as directed. Cover dish with plastic wrap and chill up to 24 hours. To serve, preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Bake, uncovered, for 50 to 60 minutes.. Let stand for 10 minutes.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Per Serving: cal. (kcal) 365, Fat, total (g) 22, chol. (mg) 197, sat. fat (g) 10, carb. (g) 19, fiber (g) 1, pro. (g) 21, vit. A (IU) 583.08, vit. C (mg) 25.98, sodium (mg) 965, calcium (mg) 292.81, iron (mg) 2.16, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet