Brunch, the perfect meal

This week the Dunican clan is reconnoitering in Sleepy Hollow, NY, to celebrate Mom & Dad’s 45th wedding anniversary. On the menu for Sunday is brunch, and we like brunch BIG (in part to satisfy our numbers — 14 adults and 17 kids ages 15 to 1; and in part to satify our disparate appetites — picky and not, choco-files and never-ever chocolate-eaters, the sweet breakfast and the savory breakfast). Here’s the menu my sisters and father came up with:

Sweet French Toast Strata
Spiral ham
Baked eggs in ham cups
Hard rolls (that you can only get in greater NYC)
Pastries
Quiche
Cheese plate and rolls
Fruit Salad
Shrimp, Mango, and Apple salad
Blueberry cake or muffins
Sour Cream chocolate chip coffee cake
Anniversary strawberry shortcake
Chocolate mousse cups
Mimosas
OJ
Bloody Marys
V8
Coffee
Tea

For the perfect brunch, I personally think stratas are the perfect brunch food. You prepare them the night before, then just pop them in the oven the day of. Stratas can be sweet or savory. Round out the sweet strata with savory selections hickory smoked bacon and a Caesar salad; or serve the savory strata with sweet maple-cured bacon and Spinach-Strawberry salad.

Here are the two recipes my dad requested of me for this weekend’s celebration.

Sweet French toast strata

2 small loaves raisin bread
1 dozen eggs
1 quart milk
8 oz cream cheese
1 T vanilla extract
1 T cinnamon

Grease 13×9×2-inch glass baking dish. Cube one loaf of bread in the bottom of the baking dish. Slice cream cheese over the bread cubes. Cube the other loaf of bread over the top. Mix together eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. Pour egg mixture over bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, preheat oven to 350°. Uncover strata and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Bake until center is set, about 1 hour. Remove from oven. Cut into large squares and serve.

Baked Eggs in Ham Cups

12 slices Black Forest ham
12 large eggs
½ c shredded Asiago cheese
½ t salt
¼ t black pepper

Preheat oven to 400°. Fit 1 slice of ham into 12 muffin cups sprayed with cooking spray (ends will stick up and hang over edges of cups). Divide Asiago cheese among cups, then crack 1 egg into each. Bake in middle of oven until whites are cooked but yokes are still runny, about 15 minutes. Season eggs with salt and pepper and remove (with ham) from muffin cups carefully, using two spoons or small spatulas to a platter.