Minnesotans grow up with hotdish (well, most of us do, at least), so I’m surprised it took me until adulthood to discover egg bake. It’s pretty much the breakfast version of hotdish complete with carbohydrates (bread), protein (milk, eggs, and cheese) and if you’re lucky, a little dash of health in the form of veggies. Just like a hotdish, baking requires minimal supervision (allowing time to mingle with guests) and serving is a breeze as all you need is a spatula. Sounds like 1950’s dream, right?

The egg bake is alive and well in 2012 as witnessed at a recent pre-holiday family get-together where not one, not two, but three egg bakes were served complete with their requisite spatulas.

My favorite egg bake recipe is super easy to assemble and since the recipe comes from Martha Stewart, of course the dish looks pretty too. Does your family make egg bake? What ingredients do you use?

(credit: Crystal Grobe)

Canadian Bacon Strata
From Everyday Food, May 2006
(serves 6)

Butter, softened (for pan)
4 English muffins, split, toasted, and cut in half
1/2 pound sliced (about 10 slices) Canadian bacon, halved
1 1/4 cups shredded (5 ounces) sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
8 large eggs
3 cups milk
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco

Butter a 2-quart shallow baking dish (oval or square); set aside. In dish, alternately arrange, cut side down, muffin halves and Canadian bacon. Sprinkle with cheddar and Parmesan cheeses. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, a pinch of pepper, and hot sauce until combined. Pour over muffins and bacon; cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet; remove plastic wrap. Bake until puffed and set in the center (see note above), about 1 hour and 30 minutes. (Tent loosely with foil if strata starts to brown too quickly.) Let stand 10 minutes before cutting and serving.