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Easy Anything-Goes Breakfast Strata

Photo Credit
AS Food studio/shutterstock
Written By: The Old Farmer’s Almanac Editors The Almanac Editors and Staff
Yield
Makes 8 to 10 servings
Category
Eggs
Course
Breakfast & Brunches
Sources
The OFA Recipes for Every Season

A strata is a type of puffed-up egg casserole made with bread. It’s great because you can prepare it ahead and almost any ingredient goes—from crumbled bacon or shrimp to sautéed mushrooms or onions.

Also, you can use almost any kind of bread that you have on hand, including raisin or a mixture of white and whole wheat or rye. To feed a crowd, double this recipe and prepare it in a large baking dish.

Ingredients
14 slices bread, crusts removed
1 cup diced cooked ham
2 cups shredded Swiss or cheddar cheese
1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or parsley
6 eggs
3 1/2 cups milk
salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Cut the bread into cubes. Generously grease a 13x9-inch baking dish. Make a layer with half the bread cubes, arranging them so they cover the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle the ham, cheese, shallots, and basil (or parsley) over the bread. Cover with the remaining bread cubes. Beat the eggs and milk together in a large bowl, and season with salt and pepper. Slowly pour the mixture over the top bread layer, saturating it evenly.
  2. Cover and refrigerate overnight; the bread will soak up the liquid as the mixture stands.
  3. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Uncover the strata and bake for 1 hour, or until puffed and lightly browned.

 

About The Author
The Old Farmer’s Almanac Editors

The Old Farmer’s Almanac Editors

The Almanac Editors and Staff

Under the guiding hand of its first editor, Robert B. Thomas, the premiere issue of The Old Farmer’s Almanac was published in 1792 during George Washington’s first term as president.Today, the Almanac...
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Comments

<span>Agatha C.</span> Sun, 01/02/2022 - 04:19
We used to camp with a large group of friends. On the last morning, while everyone was packing up, I would put together what was left of the bread, eggs, milk, breakfast meats, cheese, onions and mushrooms, put it all into a dutch oven and cook it on the propane burner for about half an hour. It helped to use up the last of the propane and didn't leave us with a hot fire pit. When it was ready, we all sat around for one last meal together. It kept up everyone's energy for breaking down camp after 2 weeks in tents and used up the last of the groceries so we didn't waste food but didn't have to pack it in the coolers, either.