Savory Chive and MouCo Ashley Cheese Strata

Savory Chive and MouCo Ashley Cheese Strata is a delicious and hearty breakfast dish that is perfect for a brunch or special occasion. It is made with layers of bread, cheese, and chives, all soaked in a creamy custard. The strata is then baked until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Savory Chive and MouCo Ashley Cheese Strata is a great way to use up leftover bread. It is also a fun and easy dish to make with kids. They can help you layer the bread, cheese, and chives, and then they can help you decorate the top of the strata with more chives or other herbs.

Ingredients

• 2 16-ounce loaves French bread, crusts trimmed, bread cut crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick slices
• 4 cups (or more) whole milk
• 10 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 2 cups chopped fresh chives
• 8.8 ounces MouCo Ashley cheese, chilled, rind trimmed, cheese cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 8 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 8 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
• 12 tablespoons grated Swiss cheese
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

Directions

1. Generously butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides.
2. Place bread in very large bowl. Pour 4 cups milk over. Let bread soak until soft, about 10 minutes.
3. Squeeze bread slices over same bowl, extracting as much milk as possible. Transfer bread to medium bowl. Transfer milk from bowl to 2-cup measuring cup.
4. If necessary, add more milk to equal 1 1/3 cups total. Return milk to very large bowl.
5. Add eggs, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper to milk; whisk to blend well.
6. Arrange 1/4 of bread in each prepared pan. Sprinkle 1/2 cup chives over each.
7. Sprinkle each with 1/4 of MouCo Ashley cheese,
8. then 2 tablespoons parsley and 2 tablespoons tarragon.
9. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons Swiss cheese over each. Top each with half of remaining bread.
10. Pour half of milk-egg mixture over each. Sprinkle 1/2 cup chives, 1/4 of Camembert, 2 tablespoons parsley and 2 tablespoons tarragon over each. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons Swiss cheese and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese over each. Dot each with 1 tablespoon butter.
11. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Reheat until warm throughout)
12. Preheat oven to 350°F.
13. Bake puddings uncovered until puffed and deep golden brown on top, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes.
14. Cut into wedges and serve.