Strawberry, Ricotta and Basil Casserole

1. Take an 11 x 7 baking dish and spray it with cooking spray. Layer in the cubed bread, it should fill the dish about 3/4 of the way. In a bowl, combine the first amount of chopped strawberries, ricotta and basil and stir them completely together. You’ll have a beautiful, creamy mixture.
2. Spoon the mixture into an even layer on top of the bread. In another bowl whisk together the eggs, milk and vanilla. Pour it into the dish and press the bread and strawberry mixture gently down to make sure it gets coated in the liquid. Cover the assembled strawberry, ricotta and basil casserole and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight.
3. Since I was already in a strawberry hulling and chopping groove, I quickly made the sauce ahead of time too! It’s so easy and versatile. Get a saucepan on the stove and add the second amount of strawberries, water and sugar. Bring it to a low boil over medium heat and let it cook and thicken for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in the balsamic at this point and let it cook for another 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat. Let it cool then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
4. In the morning, preheat the oven to 350 F. Get the strawberry, ricotta and basil casserole out of the refrigerator and uncover it. Bake it in the oven for about 40 minutes, until the egg mixture is set and the bread gets slightly golden around the edges. It almost resembles a gorgeous bread pudding! Take it out of the oven when it is done and let it cool for about 5 minutes. Then you are ready to serve! Cut it into quarters, plate it, and spoon a generous drizzle of the strawberry balsamic sauce on top. Pure heaven!