Strata With Praline Topping
Serves 10 to 12
My wife’s friend Joan passed along this recipe from Paula Deen, a Food Network cook from Savannah. The result is sweet and sticky and utterly delicious.
1 loaf French country bread
8 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Dash salt
Cut the bread into 1-inch slices. Arrange the slices in two rows in a buttered 9-by-13-inch baking dish, overlapping them.
Combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, spices and salt in a large bowl and beat until well blended. Pour over the bread, making sure it flows over all the slices. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, make the
Praline Topping
1 stick butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the baking dish from the refrigerator and let sit on the counter while the oven is heating.
Combine the topping ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Top the casserole with the praline and bake for 40 minutes, until it is lightly browned and puffed up.
Serve with maple syrup, if you dare.