This hearty ham & Swiss cheese strata brings all the most effective breakfast flavors into one straightforward, make-ahead dish. With crispy bread, eggs, recent peppers, tomatoes, savory ham, and loads of melty Swiss cheese, it’s positive to fulfill. The perfect half is that meeting is a breeze (no pre-cooking) and you’ll put it collectively the night time earlier than and get up to a stress-free brunch.
Ham & Swiss strata, and actually any egg-based casserole, is a go-to savory breakfast when a vacation rolls round or anytime you’re entertaining firm. It’s low upkeep, takes about 5 minutes to prep, and everybody loves it—providing you with extra time for household… and sleep!
What’s Strata?
Strata is a sort of egg breakfast casserole that’s layered with eggs, bread, and cheese. Breakfast casseroles may be made with out bread, however strata virtually at all times contains it. In immediately’s recipe, we’ll add ham, peppers, tomatoes, inexperienced onion, and Swiss cheese. Strata dishes require a relaxation to let the eggs soak into the bread, normally an hour or in a single day.
This dish is so low upkeep, that it actually wants a nap!
Right here is my base breakfast strata recipe, the place I normally add spinach, bacon, and parmesan cheese. In the present day’s recipe is a neater variation; there’s no pre-cooking!
Strata is the Good Brunch for Entertaining
When you’ve gotten visitors to feed and wish one thing straightforward but spectacular and scrumptious, ham & Swiss cheese strata is your reply. It’s good for entertaining and right here’s why:
- Makes an enormous casserole. This brunch recipe simply serves 10-12 individuals. For those who’re searching for a smaller however equally scrumptious breakfast choice, this hash brown breakfast skillet serves 4. You can even swap the bacon in that recipe for ham for those who’d like.
- Low upkeep & make-ahead. All you do is put the whole lot right into a casserole dish, throw it into the fridge in a single day, and bake within the morning—only some minutes of prep time! The power to arrange it upfront is without doubt one of the causes it’s a favourite in my assortment of really useful Easter brunch recipes.
- No pre-cooking something. You should purchase bread and pre-cooked ham from the shop. Or use leftover ham for those who’ve obtained it within the fridge.
- Completely customizable. Not a fan of tomatoes? Go away them out. Need extra peppers? Add extra in. Use any veggies of your selection, so long as it totals about 1 cup.
- One dish meal. Serve with recent fruit or a facet of bacon.
Low upkeep and LOW KEY.
Elements in Ham & Cheese Strata:
This breakfast casserole has all of it occurring—it’s tacky, hearty, spiced, and brightened up with recent veggies. Let’s dive in:
- Bread: Use any form of bread. I like to recommend a brilliant crispy baguette from the shop, a loaf of sourdough, or leftover do-it-yourself artisan bread. Dice it and let it sit out in a single day. Stale bread is the most effective for breakfast casseroles and stratas.
- Colourful Veggies: Inexperienced peppers and tomatoes add pretty coloration to the dish.
- Ham: You want cooked ham. For those who occur to have some leftover from dinner, use it! Dice/chop it similar to you’ll when making these ham & cheese scones and breakfast egg muffins.
- Cheese: Use any form of cheese. I like to recommend Swiss cheese or smoked gouda.
- Eggs & Milk: This can be a large casserole to feed a crowd, so put aside 9 eggs and a couple of cups (480ml) of milk. It’s finest to make use of entire milk right here. If utilizing a decrease fats milk, I like to recommend subbing in some half-and-half. See recipe Observe.
- Spices: Use 1 teaspoon every: salt, smoked paprika, and floor mustard. These flavors are unbelievable with ham and Swiss cheese. And don’t fear, your strata is not going to style like mustard; floor mustard is a standard ingredient in strata.
- Extras: Inexperienced onion and freshly floor black pepper for taste! Are you a fan of spice? A touch of sizzling sauce is dynamite, too!
Avoiding eggs? Strive my ham & potato casserole.
What Is The Texture Like?
The bread and eggs bake right into a splendidly mushy, chewy base with irresistibly crisp edges (the most effective half—you should definitely snag one for your self!). This dish isn’t spongy or flimsy, and that’s since you’ll begin with stale bread. It’s loaded with heat, melty cheese, a burst of savory freshness from tomatoes and peppers, and loads of flavorful, salty ham. In different phrases, there’s one thing for everybody to like!
Ham & Swiss Strata Aspect Dish Concepts:
For extra breakfast inspiration on busy mornings, see my full record of 30+ make-ahead Thanksgiving breakfast concepts.
Description
This hearty and flavorful ham & Swiss cheese strata brings all the most effective breakfast flavors into one straightforward, make-ahead dish. Meeting is a breeze (no pre-cooking) and you should definitely evaluation the recipe Notes beneath relating to the bread, milk, a vegetarian choice, and the right way to freeze the strata earlier than or after baking.
- Grease a 9×13-inch or any 3–4-quart oven-safe casserole dish.
- Prepare bread cubes in a fair layer in backside of pan. Sprinkle the peppers, tomatoes, and ham evenly on prime. Prime with the cheese. Put aside.
- Whisk the eggs, milk, salt, smoked paprika, floor mustard, and pepper collectively. Pour evenly over the bread/ham. Prime with inexperienced onion.
- Cowl casserole with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for at the least 1 hour and as much as 24 hours.
- When able to bake, permit to sit down at room temperature for 10–quarter-hour as oven preheats.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (191°C).
- Bake uncovered for half-hour. Loosely cowl with aluminum foil and bake for one more 15-25 minutes. The strata is completed when it has browned on the edges and the middle is puffy. Mine normally takes round 50 minutes.
- Cool for 10 minutes, prime with extra inexperienced onion and/or pepper, and/or add a sprinkle of chopped parsley or flaky sea salt. Slice and serve.
- Leftovers hold properly within the fridge for as much as 5 days. Reheat within the microwave to your liking.
Notes
- Freezing Directions: Put together by way of step 3, then cowl the casserole with plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for as much as 3 months. Enable to thaw in a single day within the fridge. Convey to room temperature, then proceed with step 6. You may as well freeze the baked strata for as much as 3 months and when doing that, I counsel baking it in a disposable aluminum pan. Cool utterly, cowl with plastic wrap, then a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze. When able to eat, thaw it for about 24 hours (lined) within the fridge, take away the plastic wrap, cowl with simply aluminum foil, and bake in a 350°F (177°C) oven for 25–half-hour.
- Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): 9×13-inch Baking Dish or any 3–4-quart Oven-Secure Dish | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk
- Bread: Crusty sourdough or artisan bread is unbelievable on this recipe, or use any crusty, hearty bread. The crustier or extra stale, the higher. In case your bread is recent and/or flimsy, lower into cubes and let it sit out uncovered for a number of hours, or bake on a baking sheet in a 300°F (149°C) oven for 10 minutes. It’ll be barely crisp and able to use on this recipe. No want to attend for the bread to chill earlier than layering into the baking dish.
- Vegetarian Choice: You possibly can miss the ham and substitute with one other 1 cup of peppers or tomatoes.
- Milk: For the richest, heartiest texture, I like to recommend entire milk. If utilizing a decrease fats milk, substitute as much as half of it with half-and-half.
