yields 6 servings or 8 small servings
6 large eggs
1 1/2 cups whole milk
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded (1 cup)
4 ounces bacon, about 4 to 5 slices, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 slices high-quality, crust-on white sandwich bread, cut into 1-inch squares
Garnish: 2 green onions, trimmed, thinly sliced including dark green stalks
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Whisk
eggs, milk and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in cheese and set aside. In a 10-inch ovenproof skillet on medium-high heat, cook bacon
until it starts to render fat, about 2 minutes (if bacon is super lean,
add 1 teaspoon of olive oil or canola oil to the skillet). Add onion and
salt; cook until onion softens and browns lightly, about 6 minutes. Add bread, and using a rubber spatula, gently fold bread into
onion mixture until evenly coated. Cook bread, folding occasionally,
until lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Off the heat, fold in the egg mixture until slightly thickened and
well combined with the bread. Gently press on the top of the strata to
help it soak up the egg mixture. Transfer the skillet to the preheated
oven and bake until the edges and center are puffed and the edges have
pulled away slightly from the sides of the pan, about 12 minutes. Let
rest for 5 minutes before serving. Top with green onion slices and
serve.
bacon recipe courtesy of: The Best Skillet Recipes: A Best Recipe Classic from the Editors of Cook's Illustrated. America's Test Kitchen, 2009 | Cathy Thomas, The Orange County Register, 625 N. Grand Avenue, Santa Ana, California 92701, April 4, 2012
