I am always on the lookout for a great new vegetarian entree. When this corn and scallion strata popped up on smitten kitchen's blog a little while ago, I was immediately, well, smitten. A strata is a delicious combination of chunks of bread baked with eggs and cheese, and this strata uses corn and scallions for crunch and amazing flavor.
I made a couple of adjustments to the original recipe: I scaled the recipe down so it would work for my little household of three, I subbed mustard for the mayo, and I upped the amount of corn. The sweetness and crunchiness of the corn in contrast to the creamy richness of the egg and the cheese really makes this dish a star. I've also included a little secret step so that the strata only has to refrigerate a mere 30 minutes instead of the suggested 8 hours— because lets face it, sometimes you want dinner, and you want it now.
In my book, this is the perfect dish for a few different reasons. It works for every meal: awesome for brunch with some fruit and mimosas and just as delicious for dinner alongside a green salad. It is also a great make-ahead dish, as you can stick it in the fridge for as long as you need and then bake it off when you are ready to eat!
Corn and Scallion Strata
Serves 3-4
- 6 scallions
- 2 small ears of corn
- 4 cups cubed bread (about half a loaf of the round whole wheat bread I used)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan
- 5 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 1 1/2 cups of whole milk
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- Black pepper
Spray an 8 or 9 inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Slice the white and light green ends off the scallions, and cut the corn off of the corn. Combine corn and scallions in a small bowl. Combine the cheeses in another bowl. In a larger bowl, whisk eggs and mustard until combined, then whisk in milk, salt, and pepper.
Spread 1/3 of bread cubes into the baking dish, then add 1/3 of corn and 1/3 of cheese mixture. Repeat this layering process two more times. Pour egg mixture evenly over the strata. Cover with plastic wrap, and weigh down the strata with whatever you have—boxes of sugar, bags of rice—I used a couple of boxes of macaroni and cheese. This step lets the strata mixture come together quickly, and creates a really creamy and flavorful dish in minimal time. Allow the strata to refrigerate for anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 day.
When ready to bake, heat oven to 350°F. Bake strata uncovered until lightly golden brown, about 45-55 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!
maddie
Adapted from smitten kitchen