The Savory Make-Ahead Eggy Breakfast That’s Almost Too Good to Be True
Whether we’re inviting a few neighbors, our entire extended family, or just a small collection of our closest friends, we love to host people for brunch. There’s just no better way to start the weekend than with our favorite faces, gathered around our table. That said, we also like to sleep in. Seriously, who wants to set an alarm for Saturday morning? That’s where this delicious, vegetarian strata recipe comes in! You can do all of the work the night before, and then just pull it out of the fridge in the morning and pop it in the oven. Take a long shower, watch a few cartoons with your kids, and by the time you’ve had your first cup of coffee and people start arriving, voilà—brunch is served.
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The Ultimate, Please-Everyone Breakfast Trio: Cheese, Spinach and Mushrooms
Rich with a creamy custard and thyme-scented mushrooms, our vegetarian egg strata recipe will suit almost any crowd. Simple, easy-to-find ingredients mean this all-season favorite is also easy on the cook. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Bread.
- Unsalted butter.
- Onion.
- Fresh thyme.
- Mushrooms. Cremini or white button—either work!
- Spinach.
- Swiss cheese.
- Eggs.
- Milk & cream—whole & heavy! This is no place for low-fat.
- Dijon mustard.
- Nutmeg.
How To Make Strata:
With nine steps, is not our quickest recipe ever. But, it is easy and very forgiving. With lots of cheese and heavy cream, it’s almost impossible to have it NOT be delicious. So, go forth and strata with confidence! You can do it! Here’s how:
- Cube and toast the day-old bread.
- Sauté the mushrooms with butter, onions and thyme. Fold in the spinach to wilt it.
- Toss the mushroom-spinach mixture with the toasted bread and shredded Swiss cheese.
- Whip up a custard! In other words, combine the cream, milk, eggs, Dijon mustard and nutmeg, and get them all frothed up in a blender.
- Fuss around for a few minutes with parchment paper. This is probably going to be the most annoying step, so just know that going in. Crinkle the paper around in your dish until the whole baking dish or pan is lined with parchment paper. Doing so will keep the egg custard mixture in the pan, and is an especially essential step if you're using a springform pan.
- Dump the mushroom-y bread cubes into the pan and spread it as evenly as you can.
- Pour the egg custard mixture over the top.
- STOP! If you're making this the night before you want to serve the strata, stop here and pop the prepared strata into the fridge.
- Then, when you're almost ready to eat, GO! Pop it into the oven and bake for about an hour and 15 minutes.
Our Breakfast Strata Recipe is Just the Tip of the Make-Ahead Iceberg:
You want to sleep in, and we want you to, too. Here are five make-ahead breakfast recipes that make for deliciously easy mornings:
- Breakfast Egg Muffins
- Overnight Oats
- Baked French Toast
- Sausage and Cheese Breakfast Egg Muffins
- Keto Ham and Cheese Hot Pockets
Tools You’ll Need:
- 9-inch square or round casserole dish, or a 9-inch springform pan
- Large skillet or sauté pan.
- Parchment paper.
- Baking sheet.
- Whisk or blender.
- Sharp knife.
Fuel Up With Spinach Strata, Then Conquer the World!
Or at least the weekend! We hope this strata recipe gets the day rolling on the right foot. Let us know how it turned out for you! Snap a photo of your mushroom and egg strata, and maybe even a video of the beautiful people you feed it to. Tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!