It’s no secret that breakfast casserole is a simple, yet satisfying breakfast/brunch dish. Casseroles are usually a cinch to throw together, welcome any sort of vegetable/cheese/meat, and taste even better if you make them ahead of time. Heck, you could even add bagels and cream cheese. See everything bagel breakfast casserole—it’s always a hit! Strata is a type of breakfast casserole. While you can make strata with many different add-ins, breakfast strata always includes eggs, milk/cream, and bread. (And definitely cheese.) We make it all the time and I figured you’d appreciate our latest one! (By the way, if you’re more into sweet treats with your coffee, make French toast casserole instead—also eggs, milk/cream, and bread!)
Breakfast Strata Recipe Details
Flavor: We love this breakfast strata with sautéed onions and spinach, garlic, crisp bacon, and plenty of parmesan cheese. Add a little ground mustard for a touch of sharp flavor, too. A little salt and pepper round everything out. Texture: If you start out with crusty day-old bread, the strata won’t be soggy at all. Rather, you’ll have a mix of soft and textured bites, crisp edges, pockets of melty cheese, plus lots of crunchy bacon. Needless to say, there’s something different in every single bite. Ease: The hardest part, if you can even call it that, would be prepping the bacon, onions, and spinach. All you have to do is cook the bacon, drain a little grease, then sauté onions, garlic, and spinach. Layer all this over bread, then add cheese. Pour your egg mixture over that. Prep is done! Time: For best flavor and texture, you’ll want to start this dish the day before. Cut the bread into chunks, let it sit out to dry, then give yourself about 30 minutes to prepare the rest. Cover and refrigerate overnight before baking the next morning. The make-ahead factor is just one reason this strata is a favorite of my Easter brunch recipes. Or perfect when hosting any get-together!
Some Key Ingredients & Substitution Options
You can get creative with breakfast strata because the flavors and add-ins are virtually endless. Here’s what I use and some substitution options.
Bread: Besides eggs and milk, bread is a key ingredient here. Why do you use bread in strata? When eggs bake, they release a lot of liquid. Chunks of crusty bread soak a lot of that liquid up so the casserole is chewy, chunky, and textured—not spongey, flat, and airy. In other words, bread gives the casserole some staying power. Now all of this depends on how crusty and crisp your bread is. Use homemade artisan bread or store-bought crispy, crusty bread. Sourdough is AWESOME in this. Cut the bread, then let the chunks sit out for several hours or overnight (uncovered) to dry out. Spinach: You can use fresh or frozen spinach. You could also use kale or arugula or skip the greens and cook 1-2 cups chopped mushrooms and/or peppers with the onions. Bacon/Meat: If using meat, make sure it’s cooked before layering it into the dish. We love the combination of garlicky spinach and bacon (just like in this creamy mac and cheese recipe), but you can use about 1/2 – 3/4 lb of cooked crumbled or chopped sausage instead. 2 cups of cubed cooked ham can be substituted or leave out the meat. If you skip the meat, feel free to add more spinach (or 1-2 cups chopped mushrooms and/or peppers, see above for cooking instruction). Parmesan Cheese: Salty, nutty parmesan is excellent in this breakfast strata, but we’ve tried it with shredded cheddar, white cheddar, gouda, Gruyere, pepper jack, etc. If you like a particular cheese on your eggs, I’m sure you’ll like it in this dish! Milk + Eggs: You need 9 eggs, but milk usually makes up the bulk of the liquid in a breakfast strata. Some recipes use half-and-half but I find the texture too firm this way. I usually just use whole milk. 2% or 1% would be fine if needed but skip using nonfat. The casserole won’t taste as rich.
Note: I usually use a blend of shredded parmesan and freshly shaved parmesan. Shaved or shredded—either works.
What Seasonings Can I Add?
I keep it simple here with salt, pepper, garlic, and ground mustard. Your breakfast will not taste like mustard. Ground mustard is a common addition to breakfast casseroles because it adds some sharp flavor with a little depth. Like any homemade omelette, frittata recipe, or batch of breakfast egg muffins, you can customize the flavors of this breakfast strata by choosing different add-ins. This spinach, garlic, bacon, and parmesan combination is a favorite but if you’re looking for something different, we enjoy this ham & cheese strata too. It’s indefinitely loved by family members of all ages. Try it with Swiss cheese!
Success Tip: Start Breakfast Strata Overnight
One defining characteristic of strata is rest time. It’s common to prep the casserole the night before so the eggs soak into the bread. If you can’t do overnight, as short as 1 hour works in a pinch. I always say that strata is so low maintenance that it literally needs a nap. Ha!
What to Serve With Breakfast Strata
For side dishes, fresh fruit and yogurt are light, simple, and quick. However, if you’re entertaining—or if you have several hungry teenagers in your house—pair this breakfast strata with:
Easy Cinnamon Rolls Slow Cooker Cinnamon Rolls Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls or Pumpkin Crumb Cake Banana Muffins or Blueberry Muffins Baked Oatmeal Sour Cream Coffee Cake Banana Bread or Zucchini Bread Dark Chocolate Raspberry Coffee Cake, a Cinnamon Roll Wreath, or Cranberry Cake (great options around the holidays) A Dutch baby piled high with all your favorite sweet toppings
