This strata makes breakfast less hectic because all the prep work is done the night before. The quantities of mushrooms, onions, and green peppers can be varied to suit the tastes of those who will be eating this dish.
Ingredients
- 9 slices bread, torn into bite size pieces
- ½ cup diced fresh mushrooms
- ½ cup chopped green bell pepper
- 16 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 2 cups cubed cooked ham
- 8 eggs
- 2 cups milk
Directions
Step 1
Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish. Layer half of the torn bread in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle the mushrooms and green bell pepper evenly over the bread layer. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Top with remaining bread pieces, then layer with the onion and ham. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Whisk together eggs and milk; pour over the entire pan. Cover with aluminum foil, and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
Step 2
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Step 3
Bake covered for 35 minutes, then remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until top is evenly brown.
Cook’s Note:
You may substitute cooked bacon or sausage for the ham, if you prefer.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Nutrition Facts | |
---|---|
Servings Per Recipe 8 | |
Calories 496 | |
% Daily Value * | |
Total Fat32g | 41% |
Saturated Fat17g | 84% |
Cholesterol269mg | 90% |
Sodium1073mg | 47% |
Total Carbohydrate20g | 7% |
Dietary Fiber1g | 4% |
Total Sugars6g | |
Protein31g | |
Vitamin C19mg | 97% |
Calcium555mg | 43% |
Iron3mg | 15% |
Potassium398mg | 8% |
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient.If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.
Powered by the ESHA Research Database ? 2018, ESHA Research, Inc. All Rights Reserved
source by allrecipe
-
- by: KRANEY
- 23 years ago
This recipe was just so-so to my crowd. The texture of the bread was kind of mushy, even though I used an oven thermometer and baked it the full time. Several guests said that it was “okay” as long as it was piping hot, but when it cooled off/got cold, it wasn’t very good at all. I had some guests even leave half of it on their plate.
-
- by: KAREN10117
- 23 years ago
Cooking time was not long enough. When I first took off the aluminum foil, the cheese in the center wasn’t even melted. I ended up turning the oven up to 375 and leaving it in another 15-20 minutes longer that in the recipe. But it was a big hit at our Christmas breakfast!
-
- by: BABSKITCHEN
- 21 years ago
This was very good and so easy to make. I was only able to refrigerate it for about 4 hrs. and it came out fine. I also added 1 chopped up jalape?o pepper, with seeds, to spice it up a little. The adults liked this, the kids did not give it a fair shake. I cut the recipe in 1/2 for a family of 4 and baked in a 7 x 11 pan.
-
- by: CANABRITS2
- 21 years ago
This recipe was certainly tasty. I think ham should be put in the middle as well as on top and it could also benefit from more cheese and some salt with paprika dashed on top. I cut the recipe in half and baked in a round cassarole dish. I think my dish was a tad too deep because it did come out a little sloppy. Next time I’ll bake it in a larger dish and not make each layer as deep.
-
- by: CANDHMOM
- 20 years ago
I can describe this dish in 2 words; delicious and EASY!!! I made this on Christmas eve so that I wouldn’t have to wake up and cook on Christmas morning. It was so easy to prepare and very delicious. I did however. only use 8 oz. of cheese instead of 16 oz. and that was plenty of cheese. Everyone loved it, even the kids. I would definately make this again. For a little kick you might want to use Pepper Jack cheese.
-
- by: LYNNERS
- 17 years ago
This dish turned out very nicely. I have made other variations of it before and have found that letting the bread sit out for a day (so it won’t be too soft or mushy) before tearing the pieces up in preparation. I added a little garlic powder and onion powder to the recipe and also added (canned) mild green chili slices in between the first cheese layer and under the cheese in the last layer. Turned out nice and souffle’ like. Yum.
-
- by: Kelly Raynor
- 17 years ago
A variation of this recipe has been a tradition in my family for 25 years. I make is early Christmas Eve and put it in the refrigerator. On Christmas morning) we get up (really early!) and I put it in the oven @ 350 for 70 minutes. By the time presents are opened and the mess is cleaned up it’s time to eat!
My recipe uses toasted bread and we like lots of blotted, crumbled bacon I add previously-cooked hashbrowns (nice and golden brown!)in the morning before it goes in the oven.
My grandkids now look forward to Christmas morning just like their Mom or Dad did a generation ago!
It’s a great family tradition!
-
- by: Peepmama
- 16 years ago
I made this recipe for breakfast for my family and while it was extremely easy to make the flavor was bland. I was going to take this for Easter brunch and am glad I tried it first. I did my own version which turned out much better. Instead of using bread I used 1 1/2 boxes of garlic and herb croutons. I also used swiss cheese instead of cheddar and 1/2 heavy cream, 1/2 milk. This made it much richer. It is a good recipe just needed some spicing up! 🙂
-
- by: Meat Legs
- 15 years ago
So good! I did have to make some changes. I didn’t have any mushrooms, so I added zucchini, sauted them along w/ the onions (my husband hates raw onions) and threw in some tomatos. Read the instructions before hand! Oh…we also topped it w/ salsa after it was cooked….GOOD STUFF!
-
- by: Vanessa Goldberg Drossman
- 15 years ago
I used this recipe as a base and it worked perfectly. I made 4 key changes: 1. I used challah instead of white bread (amazingly fluffy). 2. I used spinach instead of ham. 3. I mixed the onions and mushrooms together. 4. I added gruyere to the cheddar (also I used Cheddar from Borough Market/Neal’s Dairy Yard) and it was DELICIOUS. This was an amazing recipe. I studied many others that called for half and half and in all seriousness didn’t feel like I missed a thing without it. I served this with Whole Foods 365 Maple Sausage Links and Smoked Salmon Nova and everyone seemed pleased. Rather than put the meat in the strata.
-
- by: Lisa Ann
- 14 years ago
I have had many versions of this before and was comfortable substituting ingredients. Iused medium spicy sausage, precooked instead of ham. I only used 3 pieces of bread, 7 eggs, and 1 1/4 cup of milk. I only used about 2/3 cups of shredded cheese. I also added in some fresh chopped spinach, 1/4 cup, for color. I used 1 tsp hot sauce and and one tbsp prepared mustard and no mushrooms or green pepper or onion. Yummy!
-
- by: LUCKYLEE222
- 14 years ago
We were looking for a breakfast dish using the leftover ham from yesterday and Voila! Prepared & put in frig last night and baked this morning! Very, very good. I was hesitant about a “soggy bread” dish, but WOW! Added a little extra ham & cheese and cooked for about 5 minutes longer and increased temp to 375 for the uncovered baking.
-
- by: MARGARETINDC
- 12 years ago
Pretty good! Sauteed the veggies first, which prolonged the prep. Added garlic salt. Halved the recipe (eggs, bread, milk – kept veggies the same) and baked in 8×8 dish. Mine looked gorgeously puffy when it came out of the oven, but then “fell” 5 minutes later. Any tips for how to avoid this?
-
- by: Kathy
- 12 years ago
I follow a very similar recipe however, instead of tearing up the bread, I trim the crusts off, spread thin layer of dijon mustard on one side, and cut slices on diagonal. First layer is mustard side up bread in botton of greased pan, add veggies/meat/cheese, and repeat layers again. I prefer to use shaved black forest ham torn into pieces, and I season the egg/milk mixture with salt, pepper and tobasco/hot sauce. Bake at 375F for 40 minutes, and remove foil and bake 15-20 mins more. Yumm!
-
- by: Sandy Sanders
- 12 years ago
I was so glad to see this recipe again. I use it, but I’d gotten carried away on the ingredients. A few tips for variations: saute the onions and green peppers if you have people sensitive to those at your house. Use chorizo sausage, sharp cheddar, and canned green chilis (mild) for a Mexican flavor. A remarkably flexible recipe.
-
- by: Kitsune
- 12 years ago
Delicious! I used sharp white Cheddar, left out the ham and green pepper, and added spinach and artichoke hearts. Also added a touch of garlic salt and white pepper. I did find it needed to cook about 20 minutes more than the recipe stated (but our oven tends to require more time as a rule). I’ll definitely be making this for breakfast again during the holidays!
-
- by: Susan
- 12 years ago
My mother has had this (little different variation) for Christmas brunch for probably 20 years. We just love, love it. She never tore the bread, just buttered slices, then cut it into squares to serve. I will say that in my experience the cooking time is too short. I take it out of the refrigerator first thing in the morning and sit it on the counter till almost room temperature. That cuts down on the cooking time. And don’t rush to serve it. It stays VERY hot if you make it with cheese.
-
- by: Shelley
- 12 years ago
I wanted something easy for Sunday brunch and decided to try this recipe even though I didn’t have all the ingredients on hand. I didn’t have mushrooms and thought I had a pepper but didn’t so I ended up substituting brocolli. Some suggested the onions need to be pre-sauteed but I think they cooked up fine in the mixture. My only issue was the texture of the bread in the center of the pan. It was a little too moist for my tastes. I think I am going to try reducing the milk and/or using less fresh bread or maybe some french bread that has been cubed and left to dry for a little while before assembling the ingredients. I did add salt, pepper and a couple cloves of smashed roasted garlic to the egg mixture. When I took the foil off at the 30 minute mark the cheese hadn’t melted and everything still looked quite wet so I turned the heat up to 375 and left it in the oven for 25 minutes instead of the stated 15. It looked and smelled so nice when it came out of the oven. The flavor was great! I’m glad the recipe called for milk as I think cream (some reviewers switched to cream) would have made it too rich for us. The recipe sounds delicious as written and it was great with the changes I made. It’s a great base for you to add the things that you like and so easy to switch things up for variety. Now that I’ve said all this I truly do agree with Nicki and Gus, it’s not fair to change everything about the recipe and then complain and give a low rating when it doesn’t turn out
-
- by: Leona
- 12 years ago
It was delicious. Since it was for a family brunch I served it with salsa–some used it some did not. I’m glad that I read the reviews as it needed almost twice the cooking time stated in the instructions. I used challah bread and it was so good I’ll probably always make it that way.
-
- by: Kathy Williams
- 12 years ago
This was very good, I like the basic recipe….you can use anything you want in it; I used what I had in the house; cook sausage, asparagus, cheddar and italian cheese. …..everyone also likes the corners, so next time I will make it in muffin pans, so everyone gets a corner!
-
- by: Beckyshobby
- 12 years ago
Wow, what a delish treat on Christmas morning. Very flavorful and not too “eggy” – delicate cross between quiche and baked eggs. Used turkey sausage, low fat milk, cheddar/jack cheese and rye bread; added chopped spinach and garlic powder. Next time will try bacon and asparagus. Perfect for winter dinners also.
-
- by: Momo
- 11 years ago
This is a great recipe except I added 2 tsp. dry mustard, 1 tsp. salt
and 1 tsp. pepper–it feeds 5 or 6–everyone loved it!!!!!!!!!
It really needs the spices–my kids loved it-but they added 1/2 tsp
of cayenne–or just top with a couple spoons of salsa—Thanks this
is great!
grams -
- by: Bann
- 11 years ago
I have made something similar, and you can throw in spinach and shredded zucchini. You can also dump the bread and sub in tator tots. OR you can grate potatoes on top of the bread and then layer on vegetables, cheese and such. Also, add just a pinch of dry mustard and a couple of shakes of nutmeg into the mix. You can try other spices. But make sure whatever bread you use is a bit dry . . . or mush is what you will get.
-
- by: Cyndie Murray Hamley
- 11 years ago
I used 1 lb french bread slices (toasted for the base) and cubes for the top layer. I did not have mushrooms or peppers so I did without. I did add 1 tsp mustard and 1 tsp garlic powder and about 1/2 tsp seasoned salt to the egg milk mixture. With that much bread it cooked faster than I expected. It was beautiful toasty brown with I took the foil off after 35 min. I know I changed the recipe a lot but it is a great inspiration to start with.
-
- by: Missdrea
- 9 years ago
I used leftover croissants and hot dog buns. leftover cooked bacon instead of ham and spinach instead of peppers. I seasoned with garlic salt, cayenne, and fresh cracked pepper. I didn’t make this ahead of time but I did have to bake longer. Not sure if that had something to do with the bake time. If you have extra croissants. Use them for this. They added amazing flavor! Next time Id like to use spicy sausage and make the night before as the recipe instructs. Still turned out well, though.
-
- by: Marlea Thompson
- 9 years ago
This recipe met so-so reviews with my family. I made the recipe as written and agree with other reviewers that it needs additional bake time as well as possibly higher oven temperature. Next time I would saut? the onion and pepper before adding to the strata. I would also pour half the egg/milk mixture at the middle of layering and add remainder at the end. It needs some spice. I think some thyme leaves or maybe some cayenne pepper to boost the flavor.
-
- by: Cynthia Tobler
- 9 years ago
I saw this recipe and it is almost identical to my favorite breakfast strata, only difference…I also add spinach and 1 cup of cream. I noticed a lot of people said it was bland. I don’t agree. Salt and (freshly coarse ground pepper) in the right amounts should do the trick. Also, for those who like spicy… I always have a bottle of (La Victoria’s Salsa Brava) Hot Sauce, on the table, for those who like it spicy…and that’s most of us. This is an excellent recipe!
-
- by: Ed
- 9 years ago
I did use this as a base recipe, but made lots of changes. I recommend making the custard how you like your French Toast. For me that means with a splash of vanilla a pinch of nutmeg and a pinch of cinnamon.
Instead of just ham, I use ham, bacon and breakfast sausage. I don’t skimp on the meat.
While the casserole is in the oven I brown hash browns, you can use frozen, but if you go with fresh, be sure to wring the raw potatoes in a dish towel to get most of the water out. Make enough potatoes to cover the entire dish 1/4 inch thick and season the hash browns with salt and pepper. 5 minutes before the casserole is done, spread the potatoes over the dish and sprinkle some more cheddar cheese. Return to oven for 5 minutes.No one will go away hungry!!!
-
- by: Beakeeh
- 7 years ago
WOW! My entire family raved about this dish. In between mouthfuls, all I heard was “DELICIOUS!”. The only change I made was substituting the green peppers for red peppers. Also, I had ham that was already sliced. So, I rolled up a few slices at a time and cut them up into small round. To me, it didn’t make a difference and they had no idea the ham was supposed to be diced. I loved seeing their faces when I told them it was made with almond milk! . I’ll definitely make this again – and again, and again, and again…
-
- by: Patricia Duggan
- 7 years ago
I’ve made this recipe as is, and it’s delicious! I’ve also used Italian cold cuts (hot capicola, prosciutto, mortadella), with Italian cheeses and Italian spices. Fresh basil makes a nice touch. It’s a hit wth my Italian in-laws and my hubby is always requesting it! I do use organic 1/2 and 1/2 for the liquid). For the bread, I use Italian bread or rolls that are too crusty to use! It’s a great way to use your leftovers. Get creative!!!
-
- by: Dave Ward
- 7 years ago
I made this for a work potluck and decided the ingredients were missing a few things, so, I used Ham, Bacon, Mushrooms, Red Bell Pepper, Onion, Green Onion, Cheddar, and Colby Jack. I cooked the bacon first, also gave the onion Bell Pepper and Mushrooms a quick saute’ just to get a little flavor from them and soften them. I made it as stated with eggs and milk and bread and let it all sit over night, cooked it in the morning and took it to work 40 minutes away, it was still warm when I got to work and the potluck was still an hour away. No problem, this dish was gone way faster than I expected, the only change I would make next time is cutting the milk down 1/4 to 1/2 cup, it wound up a little runny but awesome recipe and I’ll be making it again for sure, thank you for sharing!!!!
-
- by: Tashon
- 6 years ago
Really good! I added saut?ed onion, green pepper, garlic and mushrooms plus a drained can of diced tomatoes. I used 10 eggs in addition to the 2 cups whole milk. To the egg/milk mixture I added 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon each garlic powder,onion powder,seasoned salt,black pepper. A 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper and a large dash of red pepper flakes. I doubled the meat, cheese and bread and baked an hour covered at 350*. I think it?s a good basic recipe that you could add almost anything to!
-
- by: Seansmutti
- 4 years ago
I make this as my leftovers strata. I follow the basic recipe and substitute in whatever leftovers I have that would work. I also have done this day of and not made it the day before and let it rest. I just never think that far in advance. I can attest that it works day of as well. Can’t wait to actually prepare a day ahead and see the difference. Also, I used croutons instead of bread and added some tater tots and it was great!
-
- by: Theresepaz
- 3 years ago
I’ve made many stratas and I really didn’t care for this one. Even though I cooked it 5 minutes longer than called for, it seemed too wet with an not great consistency. It tasted okay, but not stellar. Perhaps the mushrooms made it more wet, though I used only 3 mushrooms in the dish. If I ever made it again, I’d try it without the mushrooms. Though I probably won’t.
Leave feedback about this