So I know, I know…St. Patrick’s Day hasn’t even happened and here I am talking about corned beef leftovers. But I just want you to be ready, you know…have a plan, be one step ahead…you get it. And this Corned Beef & Irish Cheddar Strata will do that for you. A strata is basically a savory bread pudding. And this one has layers of gorgeous corned beef and creamy Irish cheddar. But wait, I’m not done. If that didn’t have your mouth-watering, it is topped with crispy hash browns!
And here is the amazing thing – you do the majority of the preparation the night before you want to serve it. So after you enjoy your St. Patrick’s Day corned beef and cabbage, you take a few seconds to assemble this strata. The pop it in the fridge and get on out there to enjoy the parades or parties or whatever shenanigans your heart desires. When you get up the next morning all you have to do while you’re having your coffee and swearing that you’ll never drink again, is bake the strata. While it’s baking prepare the hash browns and voila! Your recovery brunch is ready! I’m assuming, of course, that you did partake in a few green beers…Not only will folks be thrilled by your big Corned Beef feast on St. Patrick’s, but you can wow them and cure their hangover the next morning with this yummy strata.
Overnight Leftover Corned Beef & Irish Cheddar Strata with Crispy Hashbrowns
Ingredients:
- 6 – 8 slices (8 oz.) challah, sliced into 1″ cubes
- 1 lb. leftover corned beef brisket, chopped or sliced
- 8 oz. Irish cheddar, grated (I used Kerry Gold Cheddar)
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups half & half
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 10 oz. frozen mini potato hash browns (you can substitute in tater tots, or if you are feeling industrious, make a fresh batch of hash browns from any leftover potatoes you might have from your St. Patrick’s Day feast)
- minced fresh chives for garnish
Directions:
Butter an 8X8″ square dish. Spread 1/2 of the bread cubes over the bottom. Top with 1/2 of the corned beef and then scatter 1/2 of the cheese over that. Repeat the layering, ending with the cheese.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the half-and-half, salt and pepper. Whisk until well combined. Pour the custard mixture evenly over the strata. Cover the strata with plastic wrap and weigh it down with heavy cans, bottles or pie weights. Chill overnight.
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Remove the strata from the fridge 20 minutes before baking and let it come to room temperature.
Bake until the center is puffed and the edges have pulled away from the sides – approximately 50 – 60 minutes.
Let strata stand while preparing the hash brown topping.
Cook hash browns according to package directions. You want the hash browns to be crispy, so possibly cook a bit longer than the package recommends.
Arrange the crispy hash browns over the top of the strata. Garnish with chives.
Useful links for Kitchen Tools & Ingredients for Overnight Leftover Corned Beef & Irish Cheddar Strata with Crispy Hashbrowns: