Breakfast Strata

Breakfast strata is the dish I reach for whenever I have day-old bread and a carton of eggs to use up. It bakes into a golden, custardy casserole loaded with cheese, mushrooms, and sweet cherry tomatoes.

A strata is basically a savory bread pudding, and it is the most forgiving brunch dish I know. Mix, pour, bake, and let the oven do the work.

Let the bread soak in the egg mixture for a few minutes so every cube turns soft and custardy.

Why You’ll Love This Breakfast Strata

• Every slice is rich, cheesy, and packed with flavor
• This egg strata is the easiest way to feed a brunch crowd
• The leeks, mushrooms, and tomatoes keep it from tasting plain

Ingredient Notes

These are quick notes on the main ingredients; the exact measurements in the recipe card below have the full list. Nothing here is fussy, which is the whole point.

• Day-old bread: slightly stale cubes soak up the eggs without going to mush
• Eggs: the custard that holds everything together
• Swiss cheese: melts smoothly and adds a nutty bite
• Leeks and mushrooms: sauteed first for sweet, savory depth
• Cherry tomatoes: little bursts of brightness in each slice

You will need a 9×13 baking dish, a skillet for the veggies, and a big bowl for mixing. A whisk makes quick work of the eggs.

How to Make Breakfast Strata

Making breakfast strata is mostly assembly. Saute the vegetables, soak the bread in eggs, fold everything together, and bake until set.

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×13 dish
2. Saute the leeks and mushrooms for 3 to 4 minutes, then cool
3. Toss the bread cubes with eggs and cream and let them sit 5 minutes
4. Fold in the cheese, sauteed veggies, tomatoes, salt, and pepper
5. Pour into the dish and bake about 1 hour 10 minutes until set in the center

This egg strata serves about 8, and you can assemble it up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate. Add a few extra minutes in the oven if you bake it straight from cold.

Storage Options

This is a great make-ahead dish, and leftovers reheat like a dream. Cool it fully before storing so the texture stays nice.

1. Refrigerate covered for up to 4 days
2. Freeze portions for up to 2 months, wrapped well
3. Reheat in a 325 degree oven until warmed through

Variations & Substitutions

A breakfast strata is endlessly flexible, which is why it is such a keeper. Use it to clean out the fridge with whatever you have.

1. Swap in cheddar, gruyere, or feta for the Swiss
2. Add cooked sausage, ham, or crisp bacon for a heartier bake
3. Stir in spinach, peppers, or asparagus when they are in season
4. Use whole milk in place of cream for a lighter custard

What to Serve with Breakfast Strata

Breakfast strata is filling on its own, but a few sides make it a real brunch spread. Keep things fresh and simple alongside it.

1. A bowl of fresh fruit or a simple green salad
2. Warm Greek yogurt asiago and chive biscuits
3. Crispy roasted breakfast potatoes
4. A short stack of molasses and cornmeal griddle cakes

Before you start cubing bread, here are the questions I get asked most often.

Pull the strata from the oven, let it rest a few minutes, and slice into squares. It is the kind of cozy brunch that makes a slow morning feel a little special.

A Beautiful Bite

Breakfast Strata

4.84 from 6 votes

An easy and economical brunch dish that tastes as impressive as it looks.

Prep:20 minutes mins

Cook:1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Total:1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Servings:8 serving

Author:A Beautiful Bite

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Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 cup leeks thinly sliced
• ▢ 1 cup mushrooms sliced
• ▢ 1 Tbsp butter
• ▢ 1 Tbsp olive oil
• ▢ 8 cups day old bread cubed
• ▢ 18 eggs lightly beaten
• ▢ ⅓ cup light cream or whole milk
• ▢ 2 cups Swiss cheese grated (or more if you like it extra cheesy)
• ▢ 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• ▢ 1½ tsp salt
• ▢ fresh ground black pepper to taste

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 350º. Grease a 9×13 baker. Set aside.
• Heat butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute leeks and mushrooms for three to four minutes. Add a pinch of salt to season. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for five minutes,
• Place cubed bread in a bowl along with eggs and milk (or cream). Toss to coat. Let sit for five minutes.
• Add cheese, leeks, mushrooms, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Fold just until everything is coated with the egg mixture.
• Pour into baker and bake in a 350º oven for an hour and ten minutes. It’s ready when the eggs are set in the center.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 289kcalCarbohydrates: 3.8gProtein: 20gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 9.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 7.2gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 397mgSodium: 207mgPotassium: 255mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 1.5gVitamin A: 54000IUVitamin C: 4.8mgCalcium: 3050mgIron: 0.4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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