Easy Breakfast Strata

Total Time

Prep: 25 min. + chilling Bake: 30 min.

Makes

12 servings

Updated: Aug. 25, 2023
We start this strata recipe the night before so it's ready for the oven the next day. That way, we don't have to deal with the prep and dirty dishes first thing in the morning! —Debbie Johnson, Centertown, Missouri

Ingredients

  • 1 loaf (1 pound) herb or cheese bakery bread, cubed
  • 1 pound bulk pork sausage
  • 1 medium green pepper, chopped
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon ground mustard
  • 2 cups 2% milk

Directions

  1. Place bread cubes in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. In a large skillet, cook and crumble sausage with pepper and onion over medium-high heat until no longer pink, 5-7 minutes. With a slotted spoon, place sausage mixture over bread. Sprinkle with cheese.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, mustard and milk; pour over top. Refrigerate, covered, overnight.
  3. Preheat oven to 350°. Remove strata from refrigerator while oven heats.
  4. Bake, uncovered, until a knife inserted in center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

Can you freeze Easy Breakfast Strata?

Cover and freeze unbaked casserole. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake casserole as directed, increasing time as necessary to heat through and for a thermometer inserted in center to read 165°.

Health Tip: Mix and match your way to a lighter, healthier version: Use whole grain bread, reduced-fat sausage and fat-free milk.
Breakfast Strata Tips

How can you make a breakfast strata your own?

Strata is a brunch staple that allows you to put in the hard work the day before! Easily adjust this recipe to your family’s likes and dislikes by swapping the pork sausage out for turkey or spicy chorizo. Substitute the cheddar with mozzarella or pepper jack, then add more veggies to your heart's content.

Do you have to let a breakfast strata sit overnight?

Although you don’t have to let strata sit overnight, it does make entertaining a breeze and enables the flavors of the dish to really meld. Here are a few more overnight brunch ideas!

What can you serve with strata?

Serve this strata with your favorite side of sausage or bacon, sliced fruit, and a copycat coffee-shop drink.

—Maggie Knoebel, Taste of Home Associate Recipe Editor/Tester

Nutrition Facts

1 piece: 295 calories, 16g fat (6g saturated fat), 126mg cholesterol, 555mg sodium, 23g carbohydrate (4g sugars, 2g fiber), 14g protein.