Ham Breakfast Strata

A white casserole dish filled with breakfast strata.

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.

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1

Resting Time 1

Total Time 2 15

Servings servings

Author Heather

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.

Video

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.

Nutrition