Strata recipes have their own unique style and flavor; they are great food entertainer as they are quite convenient meals to prepare. This chorizo and red pepper strata is an ideal meal to have at lunchtime as well as dinnertime.
Paprika and Mexican chorizo infuse the recipe with their exotic flavors. In other words, this special meal provides a little bit of happiness and sunshine in the form of smoked paprika and Mexican chorizo.
This special strata is also an ideal meal to have on your dinner parties. Host your best party the very next time with this showstopping chorizo strata!
Ingredients
- 1 T butter
- 1 1-pound french or Italian loaf of bread, 1 day old
- Olive oil
- 1 pound fresh Mexican chorizo sausage, skins removed, and broken into 1
- 2 medium onions (about 2.5 cups), chopped
- 3 medium red peppers, seeded and diced into ½
- 1 pound mushrooms, washed, stemmed and sliced
- ½ t kosher salt
- Fresh ground pepper
- ½ t crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 t dried oregano
- 1 T smoked Spanish paprika
- 12 eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups cream
- ¾ pound cheddar cheese, shredded
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ¾ cup green onions, sliced
- ½ cup cilantro leaves
- 1 avocado, sliced for garnish (optional)
- Sour cream or labneh to garnish (optional)
Directions
- 1Butter a 13 x 9 x 2" baking pan. Slice bread into 1" cubes. Set aside.
- 2Heat a large skillet over medium high and add a splash of olive oil. When oil is hot add chorizo and cook for about 5 minutes until the sausage is cooked through. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool.
- 3Add onions to the pan and saute over medium-high heat in the oil leftover from the chorizo. Cook for about 5 minutes until the onions begin to soften. Add the red peppers and mushrooms. Season with kosher salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, oregano and Spanish smoked paprika. Continue sauteing for about 10 minutes until vegetables are soft. Add additional olive oil if needed. Remove from heat and stir in the chorizo. Set aside.
- 4Whisk the eggs briefly to combine and then whisk in milk and cream. Set aside.
- 5Begin building your strata. Put half of the bread crumbs in the bottom of the 13 x 9 2 " baking pan. Cover with half of the vegetables and chorizo mmixture. Sprinkle half of the cheddar and parmesan cheeses on top of the vegetable mixture. Repeat so you have two layers of bread, vegetables and cheese.
- 6Slowly pour the milk and egg mixture over the strata. Use a spatula to press down on the strata to make sure everything is covered by the milk, cream and egg mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit in the refrigerator overnight.
- 7One hour and 45 minutes before you are ready to serve, bring the strata out of the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter for about 30 minutes to come to room temperature. Heat the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. Allow to sit 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
- 8Garnish with green onion, cilantro and avocado slices. Cut the strata into 12 squares and serve with sour cream or labneh.
