Cheese strata with ham and mushrooms

Ingredients:

• Unsalted butter, to grease the pan
• 2 tbsp. l. olive oil
• 350 g brown mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp. cream 10%
• 1/4 tbsp. grated parmesan
• 10 large eggs
• 1 loaf (340 g) Italian country bread, crust removed, cut into 2.5 cm cubes, preferably stale (about 6 cups)
• 2 cups grated Swiss cheese
• 170 g diced ham

Preparation:

1. Grease a 22x32cm baking dish.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 6–8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine the cream, Parmesan, eggs, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of black pepper.
4. Place half the bread cubes in a single layer in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with 1.5 cups of Swiss cheese, then add the mushrooms and ham. Top with the remaining bread cubes and drizzle evenly with the cream mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. You can also bake the strata the same day. Simply let it rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour before baking.
5. On the day of baking, preheat the oven to 160°C.
6. Let the strata sit at room temperature while the oven preheats. Remove the plastic wrap and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup Swiss cheese. Bake until the strata is golden brown and set in the center, 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve.