Easy Strata and Variations Recipe

I made 5 of these for a family brunch last Sunday. They turned out fantastic and were a definite crowd pleaser. I made 3 with just meats (one each of bacon, sausage, and ham), the other 2 were bacon and sausage with onion and peppers. My personal opinion is that the "kicked up" versions with the veggies were tastier. If you aren't a fan of veggies and want just plain meat, I'd recommend the sausage. It tasted a bit zestier than the bacon or ham. I made these the night before, refrigerated them and just popped them in the oven right from the fridge. They took 1 hour to cook and were beautiful, puffy and done all the way through. This is a new favorite!

This is really good. I reduced it by a third and baked it in a 9 X 9 in pan. I used sautéed mushrooms, onions, red & green bell pepper, bacon & extra sharp cheddar cheese. I added 1/2 tsp. Dry mustard & a couple shakes cayenne pepper. I added no salt, the cheese & bacon had plenty. I used mostly milk with about 1/4th half and half and also not as much as suggested to make it a bit more custard like and less runny. I still had to bake it about 50 minutes to get it cooked. Yum! Thank you!

I used this as a base and modified. Used 1lb of sausage, broccoli, asparagus and bell pepper. Lined the bottom of the pan with bread and then added 2 1/2 slices chopped up in the pan for filler. Cooked at 325 for 50 minutes then 400 for 10 minutes and it turned out perfect.

Excellent! This was the first time I've ever made a strata, and I'll definitely be making it again. I cut the recipe in half, used an 8x8 dish, and made with sauteed peppers and onions and steamed broccoli. Very good! I covered it in foil and cooked it in my toaster over on 350 for 50 minutes, then uncovered it and broiled for another 5 minutes- so good!!!

I adore this strata. I have made this for Christmas breakfast the past 5+ years. I always do ham as the meat, but have done onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, broccoli (and a combination therein) for the vegetables. I have started using whole milk instead of half and half to make it healthier, but I have made it both ways over the years. It is always super fluffy and delicious...the family looks forward to it every year! I always prep it on Christmas Eve and refrigerate overnight.

This was so good! I only had one issue - I took it out of the oven as it was browning, time was up and the bread was cooked, only to cut it and find it still had raw egg in the middle. I ended up baking it a further 20 minutes at a lower temp and it finished cooking through. When I make this again I will probably bake it for longer but at a lower temp and start it off covered in foil so it cooks evenly all the way through.

I used sausage, mushrooms, 8 eggs, a crusty Italian bread cut into cubes and mixed everything together rather than layered. Delicious.

Delicious! I used some roasted garlic French-style bread from Costco that was absolutely dynamite. It gave a bit of a bite, both in flavor and texture. Plain white bread would just be mush, I'd think. We did cooked sweet sausage and a grated and pressed zucchini, plus some mustard powder and chopped garlic scapes in the egg mix. The french bread necessitated more egg on top, and it took about 1 hour at 350, after having come to room temp for about 10 mins. The middle was a bit underdone, but the broiler took care of that in a minute or two.

Made this for the first time for Christmas brunch; it was easy & a hit! It came out well with hunks of an unsliced loaf of Italian bread, I used mostly the inside leaving out the crust, so it was heartier than had I used a typical white bread. Filling was a saute of shallots and frozen spinach, with Gruyere cheese (found this idea on the cookbook critic website). I made two batches, the one in a deeper round dish took longer to cook, but came out moister, with less bread and more custard. The oblong pan was dryer but just as tasty. I served 2 types of sausages (sweet breakfast and savory) on the side so guests had a no-meat option. A fabulous brunch choice, everyone wanted the recipe, we had the leftovers for breakfast today!

This recipe = legendary.

Delicious! We altered the recipe for two (five eggs and a smaller casserole dish). Also, no half-n-half in house, so I added butter to fatten the milk instead. Sautéed bell peppers, chives and spinach and layered some shredded cheddar, Gouda and whole Buffalo mozzarella and homemade bread. Not heavy at all and perfect for Christmas morning.

I used ham and grated swiss with sauteed onions. A quiche Lorraine strata! So yummy!

I used smoked sausage instead of ham because that is what I had on hand. This strata recipe can be tweaked with different veggies, I mixed in some hashbrown potatoes!

Used mushrooms, multi-colored peppers, shallots and onions and added 2 tsp of dried mustard and 1/8 tsp of cayenne pepper. It’s a keeper.

Incredibly delicious! *Followed the base recipe, without making crazy changes. I used thick slices of day old bakery Italian bread, as well as Jalapeño Jack cheese, with some Chipotle seasoning. Followed overall measurements and used other ingredients as written. Bread soaked up the egg mixture just right. (Teenagers picked it up and ate it like a sandwich - whatever works, right?) This seems to be be a very versatile recipe, but it was so good that I'm not sure I'd want to make any changes!! Five stars for a new favorite recipe. Only had 2 small squares leftover after feeding 3 teenagers, my husband and myself. Definitely making this again soon, but will bake 2 trays to have leftovers... Yum!!

I have been making a similar strata for years. I love it for Christmas and Easter mornings, while we’re opening gifts and looking for eggs, breakfast is cooking. I serve it with a fruit salad and my family tops it with either hollandaise sauce or syrup. Delicious!

I like quiche better but it was fine.

Defininately make again. Outstares my previous recipe I've made every year for the last twenty. Followed suggestion of first layer being full bread slices and torn up cubes for other layers. Superb.

I like to use Hawaiian bread (brioche would be good too). I add vanilla, cinnamon, a little nutmeg & some maple syrup to the egg mixture. For cheese, havarti, and turkey sausage for meat. Popular in my family

This is a nice, easy, basic strata recipe. I'd like to experiment with different cheeses and ingredients. Mine required an additional 10 minutes of baking (as someone else noted.) If you prepare it the night before as I did, remember to allow plenty of time in the morning to bring to room temperature before baking!