This hearty ham & Swiss cheese strata brings all the perfect 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 certain to fulfill. The most effective half is that meeting is a breeze (no pre-cooking) and you may 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—providing you with extra time for household… and sleep!
What Is Strata?
Strata is a kind of egg breakfast casserole that’s layered with eggs, bread, and cheese. Breakfast casseroles may be made with out bread, however strata virtually all the time consists of 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, 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 better variation; there’s no pre-cooking!
Strata Is the Good Brunch for Entertaining
When you’ve got 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 a giant casserole. This brunch recipe serves 10–12 individuals. When you’re searching for a smaller however equally scrumptious breakfast possibility, this hash brown breakfast skillet serves 4. You could possibly even swap the bacon in that recipe for ham should you’d like.
- Low upkeep & make-ahead. All you do is put every thing right into a casserole dish, let it sit within the fridge in a single day, and bake within the morning—just a few minutes of prep time! The power to organize it prematurely is likely one of the causes it’s a favourite in my assortment of really helpful Easter brunch recipes.
- No pre-cooking something. You should buy bread and pre-cooked ham from the shop. Or use leftover ham should you’ve received 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 on the facet.
Low upkeep and LOW KEY.
Substances 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 sort of sturdy, crusty bread. (Not comfortable 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 the perfect for breakfast casseroles and stratas.
- Colourful Veggies: Inexperienced peppers and tomatoes add pretty colour to the dish.
- Ham: You want cooked ham. When you occur to have some leftover from dinner, use it! Dice/chop it identical to you’d when making these ham & cheese scones and breakfast egg muffins.
- Cheese: Use any sort of cheese. I like to recommend Swiss cheese or smoked gouda.
- Eggs & Milk: It is a huge casserole to feed a crowd, so put aside 9 eggs and a couple 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 unbelievable with ham and Swiss cheese. And don’t fear, your strata won’t 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 splash of scorching 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 comfortable, chewy base with irresistibly crisp edges (the perfect half—you’ll want to 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 the perfect breakfast flavors into one straightforward, make-ahead dish. Meeting is a breeze—no pre-cooking! Remember to evaluate the recipe Notes under relating to the bread, milk, a vegetarian possibility, and find out how to 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 prime. Prime with the cheese. Put aside.
- Whisk the eggs, milk, paprika, floor mustard, salt, and pepper collectively. Pour evenly over the bread/ham. Prime with inexperienced onions.
- Cowl casserole with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for at the very least 1 hour and as much as 24 hours.
- When able to bake, permit 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 one more 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, prime with extra inexperienced onions and/or pepper, and/or add a sprinkle of chopped parsley or flaky sea salt. Slice and serve.
- Leftovers maintain effectively 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, adopted by a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for as much as 3 months. Permit to thaw in a single day within the fridge. Deliver to room temperature, then proceed with step 6. You can even freeze the baked strata for as much as 3 months and when doing that, I counsel baking it in a disposable aluminum pan. Cool fully, 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-Secure 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 comfortable, minimize 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 possibly can pass over the ham and substitute 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, substitute as much as half of it with half-and-half.
