1/2 small baguette, sliced
8 slices pork bacon
6 eggs, beaten
2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon mustard
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
salt and pepper

1. Butter an ovenproof dish and arrange 3-4 layers of baguette slices and bacon.
2. Whisk together eggs, milk and mustard and season with salt and pepper. Pour over the bread and bacon.
3. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour or two so that the bread can absorb some of the moisture.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
5. Bake strata in the oven until the center has puffed up and a toothpick can be inserted into the center and come out clean, about 1 hour.
6. Let stand for several minutes before cutting. Serve with Hollandaise and top with parmesan cheese to serve.

Makes 4 servings

Since the majority of my dinners are actually eaten at lunch or breakfast time lately, I figured I'd make something breakfasty. Going on the theme of bacon and eggs, I came across a whole new spectrum of egg recipes called stratas. From what I gather, it's just a crustless quiche with bread in it or a sort of eggy bread pudding. I made a Bacon Strata and I actually really enjoyed it. It was lighter than Quiche, which I typically find kind of dense, almost like a Soufflé, puffing up and filling full of air.

I served the strata on a bed of mixed greens and topped it with Hollandaise, with the addition of a bit of basil. I've never heard of basil hollandaise before, though I would be surprised to find out that I'm some sort of pioneer of this because it's actually very good and lemon and basil are such a natural compliment.

The next time I make strata (and there definitely will be a next time) I’ll make sure to put in more ingredients. For example, cheese would be great. A few vegetables wouldn't hurt either. Layering in some more meats or using crumbled sausage would make it even better. It's definitely going to take the place of quiche in my life - what little place that actually is - since I'm not particularly fond of having the crust.