I’ve been sitting on this recipe since February.
Mostly because I haven’t had the time or really the inclination to sit down and type it up. Recipes aren’t my favorite posts to pen because they can come across as disingenuous. There’s only so many different ways you can sing the praises of food without starting to get a bit redundant.
Insert yummy, tasty, ooey-gooey good, decadent, drool-worthy, savory, satisfying plus whatever other buzzword you think will sell this strata.
Also, these pictures don’t do this dish justice, but if I wait until I rephotograph it, I’ll put it off for another three months, so we’re rolling with the proverbial punches today and serving up strata as is.
Now don’t be fooled by my initial negativity and general tomfoolery. This dish is perfectly palatable and incredibly easy to make, both of which are high on the rungs of my edible priority list, at least when I’m the one doing the cooking. Presentation is up there too, but some days, like this one, it just doesn’t make it to the party.
With my disclaimer out of the way, let’s get down to business.
For anyone not in the know, strata is a layered breakfast casserole packed with bread, eggs, milk, seasonings and whatever else you want to stuff it with. Me, I like veggies, but if meat’s your thing, I say go for it. It’s like the fluffier and more filling cousin of quiche, without that pesky pie crust to slow you down. Plus, it’s made in a casserole dish so there’s room for extra cheese.
It’s fantastic for entertaining since the dirty work, also known as manual labor, has to be done a day ahead of time. This way when your company shows up, all you gotta do is put this bad boy in the oven and wait for the intoxicating aroma to fill your kitchen. Might I suggest a mimosa while you wait?
Oh and did I mention it’s a phenomenal way to use up leftovers? The carbalicious kind. I’m talking day old bread, sautéed veggies, leftover bacon, although let’s be real, no one has leftover bacon. Not even me, and I rarely eat the stuff.
In this recipe, I’m using asparagus and Asiago cheese. Feel free to use whatever veggies and cheese you’ve got on hand though: carrots, broccoli, spinach, cheddar, mozzarella, or any combination thereof. I’ve certainly made strata a multitude of ways, and I’ve never been disappointed so I say go wild, get crazy, and get yo’ strata on.
Man, that last line was cheesy; palm to face. Now you know why I’ve been putting off writing this post. My bad.
- 3 1/2 cups good quality savory Bread, cubed (approximately four slices or enough to loosely cover the bottom of your casserole dish)
- 2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 cup Onion, chopped
- 2 large cloves of Garlic, chopped
- 1/2 cup Bell Pepper, chopped
- 2 1/2 cups Asparagus chopped or a combination of whatever veggies you have on hand (broccoli, carrots, Swiss chard, spinach to name just a few)
- 1 1/2 cups Asiago cheese, shredded
- 2 cups Milk of choice (I use Unsweetened Almond Milk)
- 10 large Eggs
- 1 tsp. Dried Mustard
- 1 tsp. Onion Powder
- 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 3 Tbsp. Dried Chives
- Grease the bottom and sides of a 2.5 quart casserole dish. I use butter, but you can use your greasing agent of choice. Loosely cover the bottom of the dish with the bread cubes.
- *In a medium skillet over high heat, add olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the diced onions and let cook for a couple of minutes, until onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook an additional thirty seconds. Add bell pepper and asparagus (or veggie(s) of choice). Add a crank of salt and pepper (approximately 1/8 tsp. of each) and let cook an additional few minutes until veggies are more tender.
- Pour sauteed veggie mixture over the cubed bread. Top the veggies with the shredded cheese.
- While veggies are cooking, mix together the eggs, milk and all seasonings. Pour this mixture over the bread, veggies and cheese. Put your casserole dish in the fridge and let it soak for at least 8 hours and up to overnight.
- When you're ready to bake the strata, set the oven to 400 degrees. Bake covered for 40 minutes. Remove cover and bake an additional 20 minutes until the eggs have fully set and the top is golden brown. Serve warm.
- *If you have leftover sauteed veggies from something else, feel free to use them instead. I love having extra sauteed veggies on hand. In addition to strata, I often use them on pizza, in omelets or for stuffing baked potatoes.
What’s your favorite strata combination? Do you like entertaining? Brunch is one of my favorite meals to host, partially because the mimosas and it’s a great excuse to make potatoes.
Haha. Thank you. I hate writing recipe posts. Well, actually, half of me maybe likes them because I get to put aside all good writing perfection and just go for pure corn. But then the other side of me cringes. Disingenuous is exactly the word I’ve been trying to find to describe how they feel.
Also thank you for clearing up what a strata is. I think without thinking about it I would have just assumed it is a crustless quiche of some kind. This is waaaaay better.
Cora recently posted…Week In Review: The Links and Resources Edition
Stratas are amazing. You need to try one stat, especially because it makes great use of leftovers, which I know you appreciate.
Meghan recently posted…How To Make Strata – Asparagus Cheese Strata Recipe
You are the queen of cheese, the edible kind. Your writing is far from cheesy! It’s witty, intelligent, and sophisticated. This looks delicious.
Suzy recently posted…Pregnant and Running: 26 Week Update
“Why thank you my dear,” she says while stuffing her mouth full of extra sharp cheddar.
Meghan recently posted…How To Make Strata – Asparagus Cheese Strata Recipe
I don’t eat asparagus nearly enough and have actually never made a strata. This looks so cheesy and amazing and I’m going to add it to my menu when my parents come stay with us. I love easy filling recipes.
Heather Shoberg recently posted…Unsolved Mysteries – The Death of Tom Selleck
Yes, it’s perfect for entertaining. Plus you can’t go wrong with cheese.
Meghan recently posted…How To Make Strata – Asparagus Cheese Strata Recipe
Oh Dear, I’ve disconnected from so many food blogs for the reasons you just described! If I’m in the mood to cook, which is often, I’ll go to them. But finding 6 or 7 of those smiling faces in my inbox as a daily diet, or even scattered weekly diet got to be too much!
This recipe, has my everything! Easy, cheesy, and all one dish! And bacon for my every four months or so cravings! I do love a long day in the kitchen, yes I do! And the next day? I need these delectable recipes for the recovery!
And I can a little something in one end for my carnivore husband! Do you know he eats veggie burger crumbles in concoctions such as this and thinks he’s getting breakfast sausage or ground turkey! Well he does! I buy the cleanest I can find, but it serves my lazy purpose and his cholesterol really well!
Your secret is safe with me. I can’t believe he doesn’t know though. Very clever.
Meghan recently posted…How To Make Strata – Asparagus Cheese Strata Recipe
He doesn’t know because he is an eating machine. I don’t think he actually tastes very much. Just one teeny peeve of mine, but…at least he does it with good manners!
The first couple of months after Ave was born, I didn’t taste anything. In fact, I hoovered my food, to the point where I had to retrain myself how to eat…slow down momma. 🙂
Meghan recently posted…How To Make Strata – Asparagus Cheese Strata Recipe
Did you really just use the word tomfoolery?! LOL! Love it.
Love this too. I don’t know why I never make stratas. I got on a quiche kick. This needs to be next.
Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table recently posted…Yet Another ACL Tear + WIAW
If anyone could appreciate a little bit of tomfoolery, I knew it’d be you.
Meghan recently posted…How To Make Strata – Asparagus Cheese Strata Recipe
this sounds and looks scrumptious. i need to try a dairy free version of this. turns out mama and baby are not doing well with dairy lately… curses curses but at least we love almond milk 🙂
Oh no! You poor ladies. Maybe skip the cheese and throw in some nooch instead.
Meghan recently posted…How To Make Strata – Asparagus Cheese Strata Recipe
Dang this looks good. Never had a strata before but I like the sound of it!
And to me, a recipe that’s quick, easy to understand and doesn’t have dozens of ingredients that I don’t have speaks more than the picture. This looks delicious and even more so after I read all the simple goodies that are in it!
Jen @ Chase the Red Grape recently posted…Aim for done, not perfect #5TTT
I’m with you. It’s all about simple ingredients you have on hand and especially ones that are adaptable.
Meghan recently posted…How To Make Strata – Asparagus Cheese Strata Recipe
yum! this looks so good! I used to do a ton of entertaining but not so much anymore.
meredith (The Cookie ChRUNicles) recently posted…Friday Favorites (June 2017)
Sometimes it’s easier to head out for a meal instead.
Have a great weekend.
Meghan recently posted…How To Make Strata – Asparagus Cheese Strata Recipe
I think the pictures do this dish plenty of justice – the browned top just goes to show how cheesy it is. Yummm. I love stratas too. I think one of my favourites is the first strata I ever made from Smitten Kitchen with corn, green onions, and cheddar.
Corn, green onions and cheddar…now that sounds like a winning combination. I know it was fantastic.
I would like to let you know that I appreciate your time and effort to share recipes in your blog.
Your posts continuously inspire us to get creative and cook. Looking forward to more posts (even if it’s not your favorite thing)
By the way, these asparagus cheese strata are delicious.
What a lovely comment!! Thank you Sheila. I really appreciate; your kind words have made my day. I’ve got a baked ratatoille recipe coming up along with a grilled cabbage wedge salad. Now I just need to type the posts.