So what is a Strata? And where did it originate? A strata or stratta is a family of layered casserole dishes in American cuisine. The most common modern variant is a brunch dish, similar to a quiche or frittata, made from a mixture which mainly consists of bread, eggs and cheese. It may also include meat or vegetables. The usual preparation requires the bread to be layered with the filling in order to produce layers (strata). It was popularized in the 1984 Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins.
Other recipes merely require that the ingredients are mixed together, like a savory bread pudding. A beaten egg mixture is then poured over the ingredients. (Source: Wikipedia)
I had all the ingredients to make a strata, but this time I wanted to give it a "Mexican" flare, so I added sliced jalapeno peppers, sliced black olives and chunky salsa to the mix. It turned out so good.
RECIPE
Ingredients
4-6 large farm fresh eggs
1 large handful fresh baby spinach
1 cup diced potatoes
1/2 cup chunky salsa
10 slices jalapeno peppers
10 black olives, cut in half
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 10" frying pan with cooking spray. Place potatoes on the bottom of the pan, top with spinach, then jalapeno slices and black olives, distributing evenly over strata.
Whisk eggs in a large bowl; add salsa, and salt and pepper to taste, stirring to combine. Pour over mixture in frying pan.
Sprinkle shredded Mexican cheese blend all over top of strata.
Bake 35-45 minutes or until eggs are set and cooked through.
Serve immediately. Top with a dollop of sour cream or additional salsa if desired.
Yield: 4 large or 6 small servings
Enjoy,
Mary
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