Creamy Bacon, Chicken and Broccoli Strata (Bread Bake)

1. You need enough bread to cover the top of your bake. So the amount you need will depend on the size of the baking dish/skillet you are using.

2. Making the béchamel sauce in a deep fry pan instead of a saucepan is a faster way of making this sauce because there is a larger surface area. So if you make it in a saucepan instead, increase the cooking times of each step by 30 seconds to 1 minute.

3. The sauce should be the consistency of pouring cream. The sauce thickens considerably when baking so it is better to be thinner than too thick. If it seems too thick, then add a splash of milk.

4. Use a baking dish that is about 10 to 12 cup capacity, or 22cm x 22cm (9" x 9").

5. FREEZER FRIENDLY - if chicken was previously frozen, cook it through. If chicken was fresh, you can still partially cook it per recipe. Then assemble the bake (including the toppings) then cover tightly with cling wrap and place in the freezer immediately. To cook, defrost completely then follow the recipe directions to bake.

6. This recipe is not suited to assembling then leaving in the fridge (before baking) because the bread may soak up too much moisture. It is also not advised to make the béchamel sauce too far ahead of time (ie. hours) because as it cools, it thickens, making it difficult to pour over the bake. I once tried to make all the components the day before with the idea to just pour the béchamel sauce over and bake. But the béchamel sauce was so thick I couldn't pour or even spread it. I then added milk to thin it to a spreadable consistency but then once baked, it was too watery because the sauce thins considerably when heated.

7.Nutrition assumes this serves 5.