club sandwich breakfast strata

I'm still playing with the name of this recipe. so far, I'm thinking "club sandwich" is most descriptive, since it contains bread, turkey, bacon, tomatoes and cheese... but perhaps I should call it "Conundrum Strata," as my friend Erik B. suggested, since my version contained both bacon and challah? oh so very not-kosher, but delicious! easy and tasty; works for any meal of the day, not just breakfast.

• .5 pounds bacon, sliced
• 3-4 green onions, sliced thinly
• ~6 thick slices of bread, cut into large cubes (I used homemade challah, cut into 1.5" cubes, which yielded about 3 cups of cubed bread)
• 3 eggs
• 1.5 cups milk (I prefer whole milk; you should use whatever you like or have on hand)
• a few drops of hot sauce, such as Tabasco
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• a pinch of ground nutmeg, to taste
• 2-4 fresh tomatoes (depending on size), cored, halved, then cut into 1/4" slices (I used 4 smallish tomatoes; about 1.5 cups sliced) *note: you must use fresh tomatoes here; canned will not taste right
• 3-4 ounces sliced turkey, diced
• 3/4 cup grated cheese (I used a good-quality domestic parmesan, which was delicious; sharp cheddar would have worked well, too -- almost any cheese will be good here)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, especially parsley, chives, and/or basil; any combination (use half that amount if using dried or stronger-flavored herbs)

cut the bacon slices in half (so they fit easily without wrinkling) and arrange in a cold skillet. place on the burner and start heating on medium-low, until just sizzling, and cook to preferred done-ness. cooking over lower heat will minimize the spattering and potential mess. when done, drain bacon pieces on a paper towel-lined plate, and pour out all but 1 teaspoon of the bacon drippings. return the pan to the burner and add the green onions. stir and cook over low-medium heat for a few minutes, until slightly translucent, but not browned. remove from heat.

in a medium sized bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk, and add the sauteed green onion. add the hot sauce, salt, black pepper and nutmeg and combine. butter a baking pan (about 9" x 11") or casserole dish, and pour in the bread cubes. crumble the cooled bacon and scatter it over the bread, then add the tomato slices and turkey. sprinkle on the grated cheese and herbs, then pour the egg/milk mixture over all, ensuring there's enough to thoroughly moisten all the bread (more is fine, but you don't want so much that the bread cubes float atop the liquid). cover the pan well with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 2 hours; overnight if possible.

when you're ready to bake the strata, take it out of the refrigerator, remove the plastic and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. place the pan near the middle of the oven and bake for 45-55 minutes; until custard mixture is set and top is golden brown. cool on a rack for a few minutes, then serve. it's yummy!