Breakfast Strata (Egg Strata)
A cozy make-ahead breakfast strata layered with sourdough, mushrooms, spinach and melty Gruyere, then baked until golden. Assemble it the night before and simply bake in the morning for an easy vegetarian brunch.
Ingredients
- 500 g sourdough bread cubed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large red onion sliced
- 2 cups mushrooms sliced
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 8 eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper ground
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg ground
- 1 cup Gruyere cheese grated
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
- Grease a baking dish with butter or oil.
- In a frying pan over medium heat, add a spoonful of olive oil and, once hot, add the sliced red onion and the mushrooms.
- Cook, stirring, until the mushrooms and onion brown and soften.
- Add the spinach leaves and continue cooking for another minute.
- Turn off the heat, cover with a lid and let the mixture cool.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, mustard, thyme, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
- Once the egg mixture is smooth, add the cubed bread, the grated Gruyere and the mushroom mixture.
- Stir everything together and pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Sprinkle with the grated Parmesan.
- Cover the dish and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- Bake in the preheated oven at 180°C/350°F for 45 minutes, or until set and golden at the edges.
- Serve warm, topped with fresh chopped herbs.
Notes
Assemble in a roughly 23x33 cm (9x13 inch) baking dish and chill at least 30 minutes, or overnight, before baking so the bread soaks up the custard. Leftovers keep about 3 days covered in the fridge; reheat in a warm oven. Traditional Gruyere and Parmesan are often made with animal rennet, so choose vegetarian-labelled cheeses if that matters to you.