Ham and Cheese Breakfast Strata
This savory Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole is perfect for a special Sunday breakfast or Holiday brunch! A great way to use leftover ham, this breakfast strata features melty cheese, fluffy eggs, and roasted red peppers for a filling morning meal.
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Perfect for feeding a crowd, this is a hearty casserole that will have the whole family asking for seconds.
Why This Recipe Works
Looking for something phenomenal to serve for your next special occasion breakfast? This mouthwatering ham and cheese bake is beyond easy to put together and will be the star of any meal!
Whether it's breakfast for dinner or your Christmas morning feast, this casserole will deliver every time. Easily customize with your favorite spices and veggies to make it your own!
And if you can't get enough hearty ham for breakfast, make these Ham and Cheese Crescent Roll Sandwiches or a Ham and Cheese Hash Browns Casserole.
Ingredients Needed
- Eggs and Milk: Form the base of your casserole bake and bubble up into a savory and filling dish.
- Seasonings: I use a blend of paprika, nutmeg, ground mustard, salt and black pepper.
- Cubed Bread: A loaf of French bread works well for this casserole.
- Roasted Red Peppers
- Ham: If you have any leftover ham from another meal this is a great way to put it to good use, but you could also buy some ham and cut it into cubes.
- Shredded Cheese: A blend of shredded gouda cheese and shredded mozzarella or shredded cheddar cheese (or all 3!) gives this casserole a comforting and gooey texture.
How to Make this Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole
- Step 1: In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and seasonings.
- Step 2: Spray a 9x13 baking pan or casserole dish with some non-stick cooking spray. Add a layer of bread cubes, then ham, cheese, and peppers. Pour the egg mixture over top, then cover and refrigerate overnight.
Recipe Tips
- Diced ham is a great option, but you could use another protein option like sausage or leave the meat out entirely to make this vegetarian.
- Add more veggies like spinach, mushrooms, or top with fresh diced tomato.
- The leftovers of this breakfast casserole keep well as long as they're covered tightly with plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container. You can also freeze your leftovers, or freeze the entire casserole and re-bake when you need it.
- Pair with a fresh fruit salad, golden brown tater tots, some Blueberry Cream Cheese Danishes, or a basket of homemade Blueberry Muffins.
- If you like things a little spicy, replace the roasted red bell pepper with some green peppers like chiles or jalapenos, or do a mixture of both. You can also serve your strata with a dash of hot sauce.
Recipe FAQ's
A strata is a type of layered American casserole, typically served for breakfast or brunch. Stratas are usually composed of bread, eggs, and cheese, and other ingredients like vegetables or meat are often included as well.
The major difference is that a quiche is baked in a flaky crust, while a breakfast casserole or strata doesn't include this component. The filling of a quiche also tends to be a bit lighter.
Oftentimes, this happens because of the vegetables you're adding. If the red peppers have a lot of liquid, this can cause the casserole to turn out soggy, even after fully baking. Drain the roasted peppers to prevent sogginess.
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Ham and Cheese Breakfast Strata
Equipment
Ingredients
- 9 large eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 8-9 cups cubed bread I use a french bread loaf
- 1 cup roasted red pepper diced
- 2 cups ham diced
- 1 1/2 cups gouda shredded
- 1 1/2 cups mild cheddar cheese shredded
- Green onions for garnish
Instructions
- Spray a 9x13 baking pan with non stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl add eggs, milk,paprika, salt and mix until combined.
- Cut the french bread into small 1 inch cubes and place them in the baking dish.
- Layer the diced ham, red peppers and cheese on top of the bread.
- Pour the egg mixture evenly over the ingredients into the casserole, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees remove the plastic wrap and place the casserole into the oven.
- Bake for 30 minutes, then cover the casserole with aluminium foil to prevent it getting too brown. and bake for another 20-25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool 5 minutes garnish with green onions and serve!
I drizzled melted butter over it and when I did that it created a delicious crispy toasted layer on the bottom. I changed some ingredients too instead of ham and peppers I used breakfast sausage. It turned out soooo delicious!