cinnamon apple raisin strata

And so it continues…the yummy, apple-y goodness of fall. I wanted to enjoy the berry goodness of summer in a strata, however I wasn’t able to manage it in my schedule so I vowed, VOWED to make one in the fall containing apples.

I did.

I adapted the recipe for Giada De Laurentiis’s Berry Strata to fit my apple needs: Apples, of course; Cinnamon-Raisin Bread that smelled heavenly (thank you Wegmans!); cider instead of orange juice; and soy milk, because that is what I had.

The result was a cinnamon-y, apple-y, raisin-y breakfast casserole that could easily pass for dessert. Did I ever mention how much I love when breakfast resembles dessert?

Cinnamon, Apple, Raisin Strata

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons honey
4 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk ricotta
3 tablespoons sugar
1 cup milk
1/4 cup apple cider
About 4 cups cinnamon raisin bread, cut into 1″ cubes
2 medium apples, peeled, cored, and diced

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and add the honey, stirring to combine. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, ricotta, and sugar. Add the milk, orange juice, butter and honey mixture, and bread, stirring to combine. Fold in the apples.

Place the ingredients in a 2-quart baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for a couple of hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Bake the strata until baked through, set, and golden on top about 40 minutes. Let stand for several minutes before serving. Best served warm!

(adapted from Berry Strata, courtesy of Giada De Laurentis)