The team had the pleasure of sitting in on Mushroom Channel contributor Laura Sampson’s panel at BlogHer last week,   Our Food Future: Kids, Cooking, and Health. I can’t tell you how proud we were to have her voice included as a strong POV on insisting families have access to whole foods while encouraging persistence for parents frustrated by picky eaters. We’re all in this together.

I happen to think a Strata is a perfect summertime food, assemble in the cool of the evening, refrigerate and then bake in the morning before it gets hot. A perfect solution to summer heat woes and the hot kitchen. If you enjoy breakfast parties this is the ultimate in easy entertaining, make ahead then relax before your guests arrive. Three different mushrooms give this super delicious dish a deep and earthy flavor everyone will enjoy.

Triple Mushroom and Cheese Strata*

*needs to refrigerate over night

• 2 TBSP butter
• 2 portabella mushrooms-cleaned
• 1/2 pound of shitake mushrooms-cleaned
• 1/2 pound white button mushrooms-cleaned
• loaf of french bread
• soft butter amount will vary as to your particular buttering style I went light
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheese
• 6 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk or half n half

1. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat
2. Remove the stems from all the mushrooms and slice into strips
3. When the butter is melted reduce heat to medium low, add the portabella mushrooms and cook for a few minutes
4. Add the rest of the mushrooms and slowly cook until they are soft and their liquid has been cooked out, around 10 minutes
5. Trim all the crust off the loaf of bread
6. cut in slices and butter each slice before cubing
7. Place a layer of cubes in a 3 quart oven-safe pan
8. Cover with 1/2 the cheese
9. Sprinkle on half the cooked mushrooms
10. Repeat layers
11. Mix the eggs and milk together
12. Pour over other ingredients
13. Cover and refrigerate over night
14. Bake for 35-45 minutes in a 350 degree oven