Sunday Brunch: Red Pepper & Goat Cheese Strata

If you’re anything like me, you probably have a bajillion recipes pinned on Pinterest . . . and you’ve probably never made any of them.  I decided this weekend to change that.  I’m hoping to make at least one Pinterest recipe per month, mostly so I know that I’m not pinning in vain.  I know, once a month isn’t that often, but I have so many amazing cook books as well as recipes that I know by heart, that I think once a month is the most I can realistically manage.  Who knows, maybe I can make it once a week . . . but probably not.  I’m lucky to get two recipes made per week! 

This morning, I made this red pepper and goat cheese strata.  It turned out delicious, if I do say so myself.  Guinevere certainly seemed to like it.  Aaron is funny about dishes like this.  Anything that’s a baked egg dish, he calls a quiche . . . and he always mentions that he “doesn’t really like quiche.”  But then, he always goes back for seconds!  I especially find it amusing because Aaron LOVES eggs, and I am not really an egg fan, but I liked this dish more than he did.  Part of it has to do with the goat cheese.  I LOVE goat cheese!  Aaron found it a bit too strong for his taste.  I’m sure it could be done with a milder cheese than goat – maybe feta or something like that.  I actually think the recipe might be even better with some thinly sliced potatoes in it – almost making it a gratin.

Here’s how mine turned out:

It looks pretty close to the original picture, right? 

The recipe itself is pretty simple.  You beat the eggs, milk, Parmesan and some salt & pepper and then toss the bread with it and then put that in a greased 9x9 baking dish.  Meanwhile you sauté the onion, pepper, and thyme and then layer that over the bread/egg mixture.  Dot the dish with the goat cheese and then top with some sprigs of thyme to make it look pretty.  Bake at 400 for about 30 minutes.

And, it was way cheaper than eating out for brunch.  Here’s the cost breakdown:

Red Pepper & Goat Cheese Strata
olive oil	$0.05
8 eggs	$1.32
1 cup milk	$0.41
1/4 cup grated Parmesan	$0.45
salt & pepper	$0.05
4 slices bread	$0.75
1 large red pepper	$1.16
1/2 onion	$0.40
1/2 cup goat cheese	$2.00
1/2 tsp fresh thyme	$0.45
total:	$7.04
6 servings (per serving total)	$1.17

I actually cut it into 12 pieces, but Aaron and I both ate 2 pieces (G ate one piece), so I think it’s really more a 6-serving dish.  Perhaps if you had more at the brunch in addition to this dish, you could get away with making one batch for up to 12 people.