Get Rid of Chametz— Fast— With Leftover Strata

In case you weren’t panicking already, Passover starts at the end of this week. If you still have bread to eliminate, though, we’re here to help. Leftover strata is a sneaky-beast, carb-wise. It resembles a chunky egg soufflé, or a savory bread pudding. But it’s good hot, and before you know it, you’ve eaten the equivalent of an entire old loaf of challah. Plus, if you insist on making it nutritious, pretty much any vegetable you have lying around will work.

Does it look delicious? Admittedly no, but Passover is nigh and you don’t have the time to fret over presentation. Trust that it’ll get rid of whatever food you have lying around, and it is legitimately both tasty and nutritious. Mark Bittman says bread is good for you, after all— the one thing you’ve always wanted to hear.

As for process and ingredients, think of this recipe like the Pirate’s Code, more guidelines than actual rules.

Ingredients:

3 cups cubed bread

1 cup vegetable broth or milk (or water that’s had onion or garlic boiled in it, you get the idea)

2 cups vegetables

4-6 Eggs

1 Tbsp butter

Grated Cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. Pour your liquid of choice into a bowl with the bread, and let it soak for at least an hour, or as long as overnight

2. If your leftover veggies are particularly hard, like root vegetables, sauté them for about five minutes, until slightly softened

3. Beat together the eggs— if you have leftover milk or cheese, mix together.

4. Lay out the soggy bread in a pyrex or other bakeware, and mix in the vegetables. Pour the egg mixture over the top.

5. Melt the butter (in the microwave is fine), and pour it over the whole strata

5. Bake at 350 degrees for an hour, or until the eggs have set and the butter has completely been absorbed.

6. Enjoy! Then gaze around your kitchen and realize you still have cleaning to do before the holiday. Godspeed.

Photo by Gabriela Geselowitz