Rita's Eggs Strata

Recipe View Prepare the Bread: Spread butter evenly on one side of each slice of bread. Cut the buttered bread into quarters. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Layer the Base: Arrange half of the buttered bread, butter-side down, in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with half of the Cheddar cheese and half of the Monterey Jack cheese. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Repeat Layers: Layer the remaining bread over the cheese, and top with the remaining Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Prepare the Custard: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, and milk until smooth. Stir in the brown sugar, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, onion powder, mustard powder, and Worcestershire sauce until well combined. (10 minutes)

Recipe View Assemble and Rest: Pour the custard mixture evenly over the cheese and bread layers. Gently press down on the bread to ensure it's submerged in the custard. Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or preferably overnight. (10 minutes)

Recipe View Bake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Uncover the strata and bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the custard is set. (60 minutes)

Recipe View Rest and Serve: Let the strata stand for 10 minutes before serving. This allows the custard to set further and makes slicing easier. Slice into squares and garnish with fresh parsley. (10 minutes)