© Photo Courtesy of Egg Farmers of Ontario
Don’t know what to make for dinner? Don’t fret—meal inspiration gets a whole lot easier when you have eggs on hand! By simply combining ingredients you might already have in your fridge and a bit of preparation ahead of time, you have a fast and nutritious meal that’s ready to eat when hunger hits you quickly.
Want a nutritious punch to your meals? Just add eggs! Did you know that when you combine eggs with vegetables, you increase their nutritional benefits? Egg yolks help you absorb some of the nutrients in vegetables! So a simple omelette made with fresh peppers and spinach suddenly becomes a nutrition-boosting meal. The best part is that eggs offer six grams of protein for only 70 calories.
Eggs take your meals way beyond scrambled and fried—visit Egg Farmers of Ontario for great meal ideas.
Sometimes getting picky eaters to try new vegetables like mineral-rich kale can be a chore, but not when you add it to a delicious recipe like Kale Pesto Chicken Strata. This high-protein strata can be made ahead and reheated for a quick breakfast, lunch, or dinner for those days when you want to keep things simple. If you want to keep the fact that it is packed with kale a secret, they will never know!
Kale Pesto Chicken Strata
Serves: 8 | Prep Time: 25 minutes | Cook Time: 35-40 minutes
Ingredients:
Kale Pesto:
- 2 cups (500 mL) loosely packed stemmed and torn kale
- 1 cup (250 mL) packed fresh basil leaves
- ⅓ cup (75 mL) olive oil
- ¼ cup (60 mL) lemon juice
- ¼ cup (60 mL) pine nuts or blanched almonds
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- ½ cup (125 mL) grated Parmesan cheese
Strata:
- 4 cups (1 L) 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubed, day-old crusty bread (French or Italian loaf)
- 2 cups (500 mL) shredded roasted chicken, divided
- 1½ cups (375 mL) diced Gruyere or Swiss cheese, divided
- 1 sweet red pepper, diced and divided
- 8 eggs
- 1 cup (250 mL) milk
- pepper to taste
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Kale Pesto: In a blender or with a hand immersion blender, purée kale, basil, oil, lemon juice, nuts and garlic. Stir in cheese.
- Strata: Scrape pesto into a large bowl; toss with cubed bread to coat. Arrange half the pesto and bread mixture in a large 10 to 12-inch (25 to 30 cm) greased cast iron skillet. Top with half the chicken, cheese and red pepper. Repeat steps to make the second layer.
- In a large bowl, whisk eggs; add milk and whisk to combine. Pour over filling in skillet. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until puffed and golden. Let cool 10 minutes before serving. Season with pepper to taste.
Tip: If you’re not a fan of kale, any dark leafy green will work such as spinach, Swiss chard, beet leaves or arugula.
Excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B12, pantothenate, manganese and selenium. Good source of vitamin B6 and zinc.
You can always rely on the fact that eggs in your grocery store are local and fresh. Eggs go from farm to grading station to your grocery store in only four to seven days. The more than 500 egg farm families from across Ontario work every day to ensure a supply of fresh, high-quality eggs for Ontario consumers.
MORE EGG FARMERS OF ONTARIO RECIPES:
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Ontario eggs are healthy, easy to prepare, affordable and produced by local farmers. Egg Farmers of Ontario is pleased to offer you recipes, cooking techniques, and tips to simplify meal preparation.
