Bacon Asparagus Strata

I had such a nice Mother's Day yesterday! I planned on taking Mom to brunch, but I obviously waited too late to do anything about it because all of the restaurants I called were either sold out or didn't take reservations. It was a blessing in disguise. We ended up taking brunch to Mom, and I'm hoping now that this will be a new tradition for Mother's Day.

The menu was small, but completely sufficient. I made cinnamon rolls, but this time I topped them with caramel icing and pecans. I also had fruit salad, using strawberries, pineapples, and blueberries. Then, Keely and I made two different breakfast casseroles. The first one was my Aunt Marilyn's Easy Breakfast Casserole, which is already in the family cookbook. Made with sausage, eggs, and cheese, it was delicious. The second one was a new recipe that I saw on Pinterest and wanted to try:  Bacon Asparagus Strata. It was hard for me to choose which one I liked the best. I was glad I didn't have to choose!

One of the best things about the menu was that everything was put together the night before. So, all we had to do was drive into Knoxville and place the casseroles in Mom's oven. Everything was ready by the time she and Dad got home from church. How nice that I got to enjoy a relaxing morning with those I love and avoid the hustle and bustle of going out!

Bacon Asparagus Strata

Ingredients:

• 8 strips bacon, crisp-cooked, drained, and chopped
• 1 (9 oz) package frozen cut asparagus, thawed and well-drained
• 3/4 cup bottled roasted red sweet peppers, drained and chopped
• 12 slices dry white bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 8 cups)
• 3 cups shredded Swiss cheese (12 oz)
• 8 eggs
• 3 cups milk
• 3 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

Lightly coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray; set aside. In a medium bowl, combine bacon, asparagus, and red peppers. Place half of the bread cubes in the prepared baking dish. Top with half of the bacon mixture and half of the cheese. Repeat layers with remaining bread cubes, bacon mixture, and cheese.

In a large bowl, beat eggs. Whisk in milk, mustard, salt, and cayenne pepper. Carefully pour egg mixture evenly over bread mixture in dish. Using the back of a spoon, gently press down on layers to moisten all of the bread. Cover dish with plastic wrap and chill at least 2 to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake, uncovered, for 45-50 minutes or until puffed, golden, and set. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Note: I cut the recipe in half and used an 8x8 casserole dish instead. The only other thing I plan to change the next time I make this is add more bacon. I'll use the whole package instead. I mean, why not? :)