Create an Easy and Elegant Brunch for Holiday Guests!

Making it through the busy holiday entertaining season with your sanity intact means planning ahead!  This Holiday Brunch Beef Strata is the perfect solution for overnight guests during the holidays, or anytime.

A strata is a dish comprised of layers of bread slices or cubes, cheese, meat, vegetables and a beaten egg mixture poured on top.  Refrigerated overnight to meld the flavors, simply bake the strata while preparing a table or buffet with coffee, juices, fruits and baked goods.  Brunch is ready when you pull the golden dish from the oven and top it with festive red and green in the form of cherry tomatoes and basil.  Whether it's for overnight guests during the holiday season or just a fun family breakfast, what better way to start the day than with an elegant, and easy, brunch?

Create your own happy holiday start with some of these cooking and serving tips: 

• Casseroles are so versatile and easy for entertaining!  Although strata and casseroles are fabulous piping hot from the oven, they are also great at room temperature and always easy to reheat in the microwave. 
• Try cooking the strata with foil on top as this keeps the heat inside creating a moist dish.  Removing the foil at the end of the cooking process will allow the crust to crisp to perfection.
• Always allow strata, and similar dishes, to stand for 5 to 10 minutes so the casserole sets up for uniform pieces or squares. 
• With the holidays approaching, assemble casseroles and strata in advance and freeze.  Line the casserole dish with foil, spray with non-stick cooking spray and assemble up to the point of cooking.  Freeze until firm.  Remove from the freezer and simply remove the frozen ingredients from the pan, slip into a freezer proof bag and label.  Freeze until ready to use, thawing in the refrigerator.  This will allow you to use your pan without storing in the freezer. 
• Serve this recipe with a side salad, fruit or a cup of your favorite soup recipe.      
• Save time and your budget by asking friends or family to bring sides like fruit, croissants or pastries.    
• For entertaining, casseroles are so popular today and easy on the budget with affordable ingredients!  Create a festive table with beautiful casserole pans, crocks and ceramics that fits your color scheme or occasion.  Look for decorative stands often found in wrought iron to add a bit of interest to your buffet and to protect the surface of the table.