Ham breakfast strata is an easy make-ahead breakfast casserole. It's filled with crusty bread, ham, spinach, and a cheesy egg filling that's baked to perfection in the oven.
Recipe summary
Flavor: Mild, savory, salty, cheesy.
Simple ingredients. Made with crusty bread, eggs, ham, spinach, and cheese.
Yield: 6 hearty servings in an 8x8 baking dish.
Easy to customize. Add cheese, vegetables, and protein that you have on hand!
Great for: Using up holiday ham from Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter.
Similar to: Overnight French Toast Casserole and Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole
Jump to:
Ingredients and substitutions
- Bread - I used day-old sourdough bread, but any crusty, dry bread you have on hand will work. Italian bread or French bread are great choices. Dry bread more readily soaks up the egg mixture, which is why it's necessary.
- Eggs - A necessary ingredient in any strata. The egg mixture creates a custard that's soaked up by the bread.
- Cheese - Any cheese you have on hand can be added to your breakfast strata. Sharp cheddar, gruyere, pepper jack, or monterey jack are great choices.
- Ham - Can be substituted with cooked bacon or cooked and crumbled sausage. I've included an entire section on strata variations below for more ideas.
- Spinach - Wilts easily into the strata so there's no need to cook it beforehand. If substituting with heartier vegetables like broccoli, mushrooms, or peppers, you'll want to sauté them beforehand.
- Garlic - Adds flavor to the strata. Could be substituted with some sauteed onion for a different flavor.
- Seasoning - Salt, pepper, and sage add savory flavor to the strata. Sage can be substituted with an Italian seasoning blend, basil, or oregano.
How to make breakfast strata
- Add cubed, crusty bread to an 8x8 baking dish.
- Add spinach, ham, and half of your cheese and toss to combine with the bread.
- In a large bowl, add eggs and seasoning, whisking until combined.
- Pour egg mixture slowly over filling ingredients. You may need to press down on the bread to allow it to soak up the egg mixture.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or overnight), then bake until set in the center.
Tips and tricks
Prepare ahead - Prepare your breakfast strata the night before, then cover and refrigerate overnight. Your strata will be ready to bake in the morning. Resting is necessary to allow the bread to soak up as much of the custard as possible. This time also allows the flavors in the strata to meld.
Don't pack your bread too tightly - Don't press down or pack the bread too tightly. You need space between the bread pieces for the custard mixture to flow into.
Variations - Breakfast stratas are easy to customize and can be made with many ingredients that you probably already have on hand. Ham can be substituted with an equal amount of other cooked meats like bacon or sausage. Spinach can be substituted with cooked heartier vegetables like broccoli, onions, or bell pepper.
Storage
Leftover strata will keep for up to 5 days in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Strata can also be frozen before baking (just after adding the egg mixture) by covering with plastic wrap and foil. Freeze for up to 3 months, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator before continuing with the recipe as written below.
Frequently asked questions
The best bread for this recipe is a crusty, dry bread like Italian, French, or sourdough bread. For this recipe, I used day-old homemade sourdough bread. This recipe is also great for using up bread that's about to go stale. You can even use leftover dinner rolls or hamburger buns - anything you happen to have on hand. If you have a loaf of soft sandwich bread you'd like to use, I'd recommend letting it get a little stale, or drying it out in the oven. You need a semi-dry bread for this recipe because the bread needs to soak up the egg mixture.
If you don't have time to make your strata the night before, I recommend letting it set for at least an hour before baking. This allows the crusty bread time to soak up the custard mixture.
Keep in mind that when making variations, use the same measurements listed in the recipe card. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Breakfast sausage with sauteed onions and bell pepper
- Bacon with broccoli and sharp cheddar cheese
- Sauteed mushrooms, kale, and feta cheese
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Ham Breakfast Strata
Ingredients
- 4 cups (170 g) cubed crusty bread, about 6 ounces
- 1 cup (30 g) spinach
- 6 ounces (170 g) ham, diced
- 1 cup (113 g) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1 cup (100 g) shredded parmesan cheese, divided
- 16 ounces (453 g) milk
- 8 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried sage
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
- Butter an 8x8 baking dish (or any 2 quart oven-safe dish) and fill with cubed bread. Bread should fill dish about ¾ full (do not pack in).
- Add spinach, ham, half of mozzarella cheese, and half of parmesan cheese to the bread, tossing gently to combine.
- In a bowl, add eggs, milk, salt, pepper, sage, and minced garlic, whisking to combine.
- Slowly pour egg mixture over the casserole. If casserole is too full, remove a few cubes of bread. Press down on any dry bread pieces with a spatula to soak up egg mixture.
- Sprinkle top of casserole with remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
- Cover casserole and refrigerate for one at least one hour, or ideally overnight. This allows time for the bread to soak up the egg mixture and flavors to meld.
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Transfer casserole to the countertop while oven preheats. Bake casserole, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake for another 15-30 minutes, or until center of casserole is no longer jiggly. Baking time depends on the thickness of your casserole.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Best bread to use: Crusty, dry sourdough, Italian, or French bread are ideal for a strata.
- Variations: Ham can be substituted with cooked sausage or bacon. Spinach can be substituted with cooked heartier veggies like broccoli, onions, and peppers.
- Storage: Leftover strata will keep for up to 5 days in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
- Freezing: Your strata can be frozen once assembled (before baking) for up to three months. Cover with plastic wrap and foil, then freeze. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before continuing with the recipe as written above.
Comments
No Comments