Today I’ve got another easy egg casserole for you! If you’re thinking that I make eggs a lot, you’d be right. They’re just so versatile and easy, and I just love that they work for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
After making crème brûlée for my mom’s birthday (which was really just a good excuse to play around with my new kitchen torch, though the crème brûlée was delicious!), I had more egg whites than I knew what to do with. Originally, I figured I’d just throw them into a frittata for lunch one day during the week. But, I wanted something a bit more substantial. So, I decided to mix things up and make a simple strata instead.
Eggs are a blank canvas, and just about anything goes… But, one of my favorite combos to serve with eggs is ham and asparagus. Fortunately, I had both of those in the freezer. I’ve rediscovered frozen vegetables at my local grocery store since they seem to have a better selection of frozen organic veggies than fresh ones. And, they don’t spoil the day after I get them home from the store. That’s a discussion for another day… But, having a freezer stocked with some organic asparagus spears and ham leftover from my Christmas dinner was just what I needed for an impromptu strata.
This is one of those dishes that looks pretty and elegant, but it couldn’t be easier to make. I happen to love having eggs for lunch, but it’d be a perfect breakfast for entertaining guests, too. Whenever you decide to give it a try, I’m pretty sure it will be a hit!
Of course, if you don’t happen to have 8 egg whites in your fridge, you could substitute 1 egg for every 2 egg whites.
Ham and Asparagus Strata
(Serves 4 – 6)
- 8 egg whites
- 3 eggs
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cups cubed bread (day old, dry bread is best)
- 6 ounces diced (cooked) ham
- 10 ounces frozen asparagus spears, thawed
- 2 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8 by 8-inch baking dish and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine the egg whites, eggs, milk, and Dijon mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk until well combined.
Place the cubed bread in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Spread the ham in a layer on top of the cubed bread. Pour the egg mixture down over the ham and bread, and let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes.
Arrange the asparagus spears on top of the strata and sprinkle with the cheddar cheese.
Bake for approximately 60 minutes, until the eggs are set and the top is golden. Serve warm.
What a gorgeous strata, Jen! This looks so delicious and perfect for a nice warm, hearty morning meal. Thanks for sharing!
This is really stunning, Jen! I love that it can work for any meal of the day and the asparagus is so gorgeous!
This looks like a great lunch or breakfast for entertaining. Beautiful!
Absolutely gorgeous Jen! And that’s good to know about substituting the eggs for the egg whites…
oh my goodness this looks AMAZING! I will definitely be making this… Is it possible to add onions, too? Which layer would you recommend adding them do, and should they be pre-cooked?
Hi, Sarah – Yes, I think onions would work well! I would probably add them with the ham… And, yes, I’d cook them first. In fact, I think caramelized onions would be especially delicious with the sharp cheddar cheese!
This looks delicious! I just love asparagus :)
Yesterday I got a monsterous craving for asparagus of all things and haven’t gone to the store yet to pick some up. I’m thinking between this craving,and the ham and cheese in my refrigerator, this dish is going to have to happen pronto in my house. It looks delicious!
This looks amazing! I love ham with asparagus! This would be perfect for Easter! Mmmm..
This sounds FABULOUS! I don’t eat ham, but I can find an easy substitution. Totally going to make this soon!
This looks lovely! Do you think I could take out the bread though?
Hi, Melissa – Yes, you could leave out the bread, but the texture would be quite different. It would be more like a frittata that way.
I am all over this. Too bad my husband doesn’t like asparagus. Or maybe that’s a good thing so that I can eat more.
It looks great! Can I use fresh asparagus instead of frozen?
Jodi – Sure, fresh asparagus will work just fine. Simply steam (2-3 min) and the put it in ice water to stop the cooking process. Then, you can use it as it’s called for in the recipe. Enjoy!
if you use fresh asparagus, do you need to cook the asparagus first and if so, how should it be cooked?
thanks!
Hi, Caroline – If you use fresh asparagus, I would steam it for about 2 – 3 minutes, then shock it in cold ice water to stop the cooking. Then, you can add it to the dish. Enjoy!