This hearty ham & Swiss cheese strata brings all one of the best breakfast flavors into one simple, make-ahead dish. With crispy bread, eggs, recent peppers, tomatoes, savory ham, and loads of melty Swiss cheese, it’s positive to fulfill. The most effective half is that meeting is a breeze (no pre-cooking) and you’ll put it collectively the evening 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—supplying you with extra time for household… and sleep!
What Is 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 nearly at all times consists of it. In at present’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, often 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 often add spinach, bacon, and parmesan cheese. In the present day’s recipe is a neater variation; there’s no pre-cooking!
Strata Is the Excellent Brunch for Entertaining
When you’ve visitors to feed and wish one thing simple but spectacular and scrumptious, ham & Swiss cheese strata is your reply. It’s good for entertaining and right here’s why:
- Makes a giant casserole. This brunch recipe serves 10–12 folks. For those who’re searching for a smaller however equally scrumptious breakfast choice, this hash brown breakfast skillet serves 4. You may even swap the bacon in that recipe for ham if you happen to’d like.
- Low upkeep & make-ahead. All you do is put the whole lot right into a casserole dish, let it sit within the fridge in a single day, and bake within the morning—only some minutes of prep time! The flexibility to organize it prematurely is among 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 if you happen to’ve received it within the fridge.
- Completely customizable. Not a fan of tomatoes? Depart 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 on the aspect.
Low upkeep and LOW KEY.
Components in Ham & Cheese Strata:
This breakfast casserole has all of it happening—it’s tacky, hearty, spiced, and brightened up with recent veggies. Let’s dive in:
- Bread: Use any form of sturdy, crusty bread. (Not mushy sandwich bread.) I like to recommend a crispy baguette from the shop, a loaf of sourdough or French bread, or leftover selfmade artisan bread. Lower it into cubes and let the bread cubes sit out in a single day. Stale bread is one of the best 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’d 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 pair of cups (480ml) of milk. It’s greatest to make use of complete milk right here. If utilizing a lower-fat 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 unimaginable with ham and Swiss cheese. And don’t fear, your strata is not going to style like mustard; floor mustard is a typical 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 or bread? 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 (one of the best half—make sure you 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 Facet 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 one of the best breakfast flavors into one simple, make-ahead dish. Meeting is a breeze—no pre-cooking! You should definitely evaluation the recipe Notes beneath relating to the bread, milk, a vegetarian choice, and how you can freeze the strata earlier than or after baking.
- Grease a 9×13-inch or any 3–4-quart oven-safe casserole dish.
- Organize bread cubes in a fair layer within the backside of the pan. Sprinkle the tomatoes, bell peppers, and ham evenly on high. High with the cheese. Put aside.
- Whisk the eggs, milk, paprika, floor mustard, salt, and pepper collectively. Pour evenly over the bread/ham. High with inexperienced onions.
- Cowl casserole with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour and as much as 24 hours.
- When able to bake, enable to take a seat at room temperature for 10–quarter-hour because the oven preheats.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (191°C).
- Bake uncovered for half-hour. Loosely cowl with aluminum foil and bake for an additional 15–25 minutes. The strata is completed when it has browned on the perimeters and the middle is puffy. Mine often takes round 50 minutes.
- Cool for 10 minutes, high with extra inexperienced onions and/or pepper, and/or add a sprinkle of chopped parsley or flaky sea salt. Slice and serve.
- Leftovers hold effectively within the fridge for as much as 5 days. Reheat within the microwave to your liking.
Notes
- Freezing Directions: Put together by step 3, then cowl the casserole with plastic wrap, adopted by a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for as much as 3 months. Enable to thaw in a single day within the fridge. Carry to room temperature, then proceed with step 6. You can too 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, adopted by a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze. When able to eat, thaw it for about 24 hours (coated) 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-Protected Dish | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk
- Bread: Crusty sourdough or artisan bread is improbable on this recipe, or use any crusty, hearty bread. The crustier or extra stale, the higher. In case your bread is recent and/or mushy, reduce it into cubes and let the cubes sit out uncovered for a number of hours or in a single day, 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 may omit the ham and exchange with one other 1 cup of peppers or tomatoes.
- Milk: For the richest, heartiest texture, I like to recommend complete milk. If utilizing a lower-fat milk, exchange as much as half of it with half-and-half.