Breakfast Tortilla Strata

Make-ahead breakfasts are fantastic, not only for a weekend brunch, but also to prep at night so they're ready to go on a busy weekday morning. This one needs at least 8 hours - if not longer - to chill, making it ideal for putting together the night before. Or, if you'd like to eat "breakfast" for dinner, prepare the strata in the late morning and refrigerate until dinner time.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup bottled salsa
• 1 cup rinsed and drained canned black beans
• 10 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• Cooking spray
• 1 cup Galaxy Foods Mexican blend shredded cheese
• 1 cup vegan sour cream
• 1 cup plain non-dairy milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 (12.3-ounce) package lite silken tofu
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric (for color)
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

1. In a bowl, combine the salsa and black beans; set aside.

2. Cut the tortillas into 1-inch wide strips.  Arrange one-third of the tortilla strips in the bottom of an 11x7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray, and sprinkle with 1/3 cup cheese.

3. Spread with half of the salsa mixture (about 1 cup), and then repeat the layers: one-third tortilla strips, 1/3 cup cheese, and the remaining salsa mixture, topped by the final one-third tortilla strips.

4. In a food processor, combine the tofu, cornstarch, and turmeric and process until blended.  Transfer the tofu mixture to a bowl and whisk with the sour cream, milk, and salt.  Stir in the green onions.

5. Pour the tofu mixture over the strata, and sprinkle with the final 1/3 cup cheese.  Cover and chill for at least 8 hours and up to overnight.

6. Remove from the fridge and let stand for 10 minutes.  Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Uncover and bake a final 15 to 20 minutes.  The top should be lightly browned and the tofu mixture should be set.

I recommend serving a citrus compote on the side:

Or, for something simpler, fresh fruit like cubed cantaloupe is also great:

Nutrition Info:
6 servings (1 portion), Calories 292 

Tasting Notes:
Savory and filling, and I was pleased with how the tofu mixture set. I definitely recommend more black beans and more salsa, but loved the way the tortilla strips soften and plump up after soaking for 8 hours. I'd leave out the green onion next time, and also play around with spices (onion powder comes to mind) to heighten the flavor of the tofu mixture.  This was my first time using Galaxy's shredded cheese, and I was very impressed with how well this vegan cheese melted and stretched in the oven.

Rating:
3.5

Update:
If you can't find Galaxy's Mexican shreds, try this strata with one of the vegan Monterey Jack cheeses on the market, like Vegan Gourmet or Daiya (I used the former). I liked that this version was a little less greasy.

I also used the opportunity to bake an extra 5 minutes, uncovered, resulting in an even better-set tofu mixture on top.