Do-ahead Chicken Leek Strata

Total Time: 5 hrs 1 min Preparation Time: 5 hrs Cook Time: 1 min

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 3 -4 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups sliced leeks (about 2 pounds)
• 1 lb french bread, sliced into 1/2 inch sliced
• 2 cups cooked chicken or 2 cups cooked turkey, diced or chopped
• 2 teaspoons dry dill weed or 2 tablespoons fresh dill weed
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (or more if desired)
• 4 -6 slices cooked bacon, chopped (optional)
• 3 -4 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese (optional)
• 8 eggs, beaten
• 4 cups whole milk or 4 cups half-and-half cream
• 1 teaspoon salt
• pepper

Recipe

• 1 prepare a greased 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
• 2 melt the butter in a saucepan, over medium heat.
• 3 cook the leeks in butter about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened; remove from heat.
• 4 line the bottom of the baking dish with half of the bread slices.
• 5 sprinkle with cooked chicken and the dillweed; top with the cooked leeks.
• 6 sprinkle 2 cups of cheese over the leeks.
• 7 sprinkle the cooked bacon over the cheese.
• 8 sprinkle with grated parmeasn cheese over the bacon.
• 9 top with the remaining bread slices; sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup cheese.
• 10 in a bowl, mix together the 8 beaten eggs, 4 cups milk, salt and pepper.
• 11 pour the mixture evenly over the bread and cheese in the baking dish.
• 12 cover tighty with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 4 hours, but no longer than 24 hours.
• 13 when ready to bake, remove from the fridge and uncover, let sit out at room temperature 1-1/4 hours before baking.
• 14 set the oven to 325 degrees.
• 15 bake for 1 hour, or until a knife inserted in the middle, comes out clean.
• 16 let sit for 10 minutes before serving-- delicious!