Easy (Versatile) Overnight Breakfast Strata

Easy (Versatile) Overnight Breakfast Strata

Yield: 8

Imagine the rich creaminess of eggs embracing cubes of crusty bread, forming a base that soaks up the savory goodness. This savory custard is infused with a medley of ingredients like savory sausage or bacon, sautéed vegetables, and a generous sprinkle of cheese. The amalgamation of these elements results in a flavorful crescendo that unfolds with each forkful.

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Ingredients

• 1 pound sausage, casings removed
• 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• 8 eggs, beaten
• 10 cups cubed, day-old bread
• 3 cups whole milk
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 ½ cups cubed Black Forest ham
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons mustard powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons dried basil

Instructions

1. Generously grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish.

1. Heat a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir sausage until crumbly and completely browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer cooked sausage to the prepared casserole dish.
2. Cook and stir mushrooms in the same skillet over medium heat until liquid has been released and mushrooms are lightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes; drain.
3. Mix mushrooms, eggs, bread, milk, Cheddar cheese, ham, spinach, flour, mustard powder, salt, butter, and basil together in a large bowl; pour over sausage. Cover casserole dish and refrigerate, 2 hours to overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
5. Bake in the preheated oven until a knife inserted into the center of the strata comes out clean, 60 to 70 minutes.

 I always love to serve a fluffy breakfast strata Christmas morning because you can make it a day in advance and pop it in the oven when you are ready to eat.

This overnight breakfast strata is always a hit. The great thing is that you can adjust the recipe based on who you are serving and what you have in the fridge. In other words, if you don’t like meat, you can modify this recipe by adding all sorts of veggies.

Think of this breakfast egg casserole as the ideal base for a fluffy strata with any addition you need.

Make it on Christmas Eve after dinner, then let it chill overnight and bake it Christmas morning!  You want it to sit in the refrigerator, so the custard really soaks up into the bread and all the flavors come together.

Some ingredients you can add to your fluffy breakfast strata:

Get creative friends! You can substitute bread with croissants, bagels or gluten free bread of any kind.

If your family loves meat then load the dish with sausage and bacon. If you are like me I like to add some veggies then add cheese and bacon to boot.

• Add sautéed onions and mushrooms – or not up to you
• Play with the herbs and add your favorites
• Add broccoli or spinach
• Switch up the cheeses, or use all cheddar

This recipe goes well with Latvian Piragi, recipe here.   

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If you are looking for a light and refreshing dessert for a brunch, check out this super easy  to make lemon pie.