Overnight Breakfast Strata
Golden baked overnight breakfast strata with loads of eggs, bacon and cheese. An easy make ahead breakfast or brunch for a small crowd
Ingredients
- 230g / 8oz day old French baguette (NOTE 1)
- 250g / 8.8oz streaky bacon, diced into small pieces (NOTE 2)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ brown onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 8 large eggs (NOTE 3)
- 1½ cup (375ml / 12.5 floz) full cream or whole milk
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup shredded Tasty cheddar cheese (NOTE 4)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- butter for greasing the tin
Instructions
- Slice the bread into roughly 1.5 to 2 cm (0.6 to 0.8 inches) cubes, place it into a large bowl, and set aside. Combine all the cheeses together in a separate bowl.
- Heat a frypan over medium to high heat, then add the bacon and cook, stirring, until it releases some fat. Add the onion and garlic and continue to cook for 2 minutes, stirring often, making sure the garlic does not burn. Set aside and allow to cool slightly.
- Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooked bacon and 1/2 cup of the cheese for the topping. Once the bacon has cooled completely, place the reserved bacon and cheese into separate bowls, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until needed.
- In a bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, and salt until well combined. Add the cheese and bacon mixture, then stir to combine. Pour the egg mixture over the bread and mix well, making sure all the bread pieces are evenly soaked.
- Cover the bread mixture with cling or plastic wrap, gently pressing it down to level the surface to stop the bread from drying out. Refrigerate overnight, or for at least 2 hours, to allow the liquid to fully soak into the bread.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F).
- Generously grease a 20 cm / 8 inch round tin (non stick with a loose base) with butter. To prevent any leakage during baking, you may wish to wrap the outside base of the tin with foil.
- Transfer the strata mixture into the prepared tin and press down gently using a flat spatula. Sprinkle the reserved cheese and bacon evenly over the top. Cover the tin loosely with foil and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Remove the foil, switch the oven to grill or broil mode on medium to high heat (top heat only), and cook for a further 5 minutes, or until the top is golden and lightly crisp. Let the strata rest in the tin for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
(NOTE 1) Bread: Bread can be tricky to measure by weight, as different types vary in density. I used French-style baguettes which are light and airy, which weighed approximately 230 g (8 oz)
To ensure this recipe works well for you, choose bread with a similar texture and structure to Australian made French baguette (not dense)
Good alternatives include a long white bread roll, sandwich loaf, crusty white loaf, or Vietnamese style baguette or bread rolls.
The bread should be at least one day old, as stale bread absorbs the milk and eggs far better than fresh bread, resulting in a softer, custardy texture.
(NOTE 2) Bacon :Streaky bacon is my favourite choice, as it has a balanced ratio of fat to meat, which adds extra flavour to the strata. If using lean or rindless bacon with little to no fat, you will need to heat a tablespoon of oil in the pan before frying.
(NOTE 3) Eggs: used 8 eggs for this recipe. For reference, a dozen eggs weighs approximately 700 g (about 24.7 oz) with the shells on, which works out to around 58 g (about 2 oz) per egg. Egg sizes can vary slightly, but this recipe is very forgiving and will still work well with standard large eggs.
(NOTE 4) Cheese: I used a combination of parmesan, mozzarella, and tasty cheddar, but feel free to use your favourites. You do not need to use three types of cheese as I have done here. Two, or even one good melting cheese, will work beautifully.
How to Store: Once cooled, cover the strata or transfer slices to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. This strata can be enjoyed cold, at room temperature, or reheated.
Nutrition Information: Nutrition information is estimated using a third-party calculator and should be used as a guide only.
Australian Measurements: All measurements on this website use Australian standard cups and spoons. For conversion details, see my Australian Cooking Measurements page.
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Cheers – Cat T
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 386kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 21gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 233mgSodium: 676mgPotassium: 273mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 546IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 261mgIron: 2mg