Strawberry, Bacon and Goat Cheese Strata with Balsamic Syrup

A sweet and savoury strawberry strata with bacon, goat cheese, pecans and a balsamic syrup.

I start the recipe off with a loaf of King's Hawaiian Sweet Bread which is perfect as it's sweetness complements the strawberries! This recipe is super easy to make; once you have everything mixed up you simply need to bake it; anyone can make it for mom! The strata is finished off by topping it with fresh sliced strawberries and a balsamic syrup made by reducing balsamic vinegar and sugar until it thickens and it's sweetness and tartness perfectly complements the sweet and savoury strata.

Ingredients

1 loaf King's Hawaiian Hawaiian Sweet Bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 pound strawberries, hulled and sliced
8 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
4 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
5 eggs
2 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions

Mix the bread, strawberries, goat cheese, bacon and pecans and place in a lightly grease baking dish.
Mix the eggs, milk, honey, vanilla extract and nutmeg and pour it over the bread mixture in the baking dish making sure that all of the bread gets moist.
Bake in a preheated 350F/180C oven until puffed and lightly golden brown, about 45 minutes, remove from oven and let cool.
Meanwhile, simmer the balsamic vinegar and brown sugar over medium heat until it reduces and thickens, about 5 minutes, let it cool and then drizzle it over the strata when serving.

Option: Top with some fresh sliced strawberries and basil or mint.