Celery Strata

3 ⅔ cups milk
5 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
1 ½ cups ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 recipe spicy cold braised celery, made by cutting celery stalks across into 1/8-inch slices and omitting the cilantro
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter, softened
18 slices 2- or 3-day-old white bread
8 ounces sharp white Cheddar cheese, grated

Nutritional Information
- Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
  527 calories; 28 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 39 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 9 grams sugars; 27 grams protein; 191 milligrams cholesterol; 986 milligrams sodium

8 to 10 servings

Whisk together the milk, eggs and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir in the thyme and sage. In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta, Parmesan, pepper and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and stir in the braised celery.
Grease a 9-by-12-by-2 1/2-inch pan with 1 teaspoon of butter. Place 6 slices of bread in the bottom and top with 1/2 of the ricotta-Parmesan mixture. Repeat, then finish with a layer of bread spread with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Pour the egg mixture over the top, gently pressing down so it soaks through the bread. Wrap the pan in plastic and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the plastic from the pan and sprinkle with Cheddar cheese. Put this pan into a large roasting pan on the middle rack in the oven. Pour boiling water into the larger pan to reach halfway up the sides and bake for 50 minutes.
Remove the smaller pan from the water bath, increase the heat to 400 degrees and bake for 10 minutes, or until the strata is puffy and brown. Let cool and serve.