24-Hour “Omelet” with Pepper Jack and Chipotle Chiles
By America's Test KitchenPublished on June 29, 2009
Yield
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
Before You Begin
Be sure to use a hearty white sandwich bread; our favorite is Pepperidge Farm Hearty White bread. The omelet needs to sit in the refrigerator, well covered, for at least 8 hours in order to achieve the desired consistency, and it can be made up to 24 hours in advance.
Instructions
- Butter the bottom and sides of a 13 by 9-inch baking dish (or shallow casserole dish of similar size). Spread the butter evenly over 1 side of each bread slice. Cut the bread into 1-inch pieces. Scatter half of the bread evenly in the prepared dish and sprinkle with half of the pepper jack cheese. Repeat with the remaining bread and cheese.
- Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until combined, then whisk in the milk, onion, salt, pepper, and minced chipotle chiles. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread and press lightly on the bread to submerge.
- Wrap the dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap the casserole and bake until puffed and golden brown, about 1 hour. Sprinkle minced cilantro over the top of the omelet and serve immediately.
to store
to serve
Yield
Serves 6 to 8Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
For an egg-based strata recipe, we wanted the bread to virtually melt into the custard, so we ruled out rustic loaves with heavy crusts and anything that was very chewy. Hearty white sandwich breads were the most promising and Pepperidge Farm Hearty White bread proved to be the best of the bunch, as it possesses a deeply wheaty, slightly yeasty flavor and just enough texture to not completely dissolve in the custard overnight. Considering the dish is called an “omelet,” we wanted to make sure it had a potently eggy flavor, so we experimented with different ratios of eggs to dairy until we found what delivered the best texture. Smooth-melting, high-moisture cheese like Monterey Jack fared best in our strata recipe; drier options, like extra-sharp cheddar, “broke,” rendering the dish greasy.
Before You Begin
Be sure to use a hearty white sandwich bread; our favorite is Pepperidge Farm Hearty White bread. The omelet needs to sit in the refrigerator, well covered, for at least 8 hours in order to achieve the desired consistency, and it can be made up to 24 hours in advance.
Instructions
- Butter the bottom and sides of a 13 by 9-inch baking dish (or shallow casserole dish of similar size). Spread the butter evenly over 1 side of each bread slice. Cut the bread into 1-inch pieces. Scatter half of the bread evenly in the prepared dish and sprinkle with half of the pepper jack cheese. Repeat with the remaining bread and cheese.
- Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until combined, then whisk in the milk, onion, salt, pepper, and minced chipotle chiles. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread and press lightly on the bread to submerge.
- Wrap the dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap the casserole and bake until puffed and golden brown, about 1 hour. Sprinkle minced cilantro over the top of the omelet and serve immediately.
to store
to serve
Gift This Recipe
Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.
Keep Exploring
0 Comments