Overnight Egg Strata Recipe (2024)

Cooking with kidsis a fun way to spend time together! Cooking together in the kitchen is quality time with learning, skill development, and has a tasty reward. Kids love to create new concoctions in the kitchen and may be more willing to try new foods. We made this Overnight Egg Strata Recipe together one afternoon and then enjoyed our breakfast on a lazy Saturday. This easy egg strata recipe would be a great addition to holiday mornings or even breakfast for dinner!

Overnight Egg Strata Recipe (1)

Overnight Egg Strata Recipe

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We made this egg strata recipe as a new recipe to us. As part of our Cooking With Kids A-Z series, we needed an egg recipe. (If you haven’t been following along with our series, we’ve been cooking our way through the alphabet. Every two weeks, we’re cooking up a new recipe. This week is E is for Eggs and our egg strata recipe was just the thing to make! We’ve never made this recipebefore, but it is one of the Aunts’ go-to breakfast recipes for holidays, special events, or lazy mornings. It’s been posted on the blog before, but this Aunt has never made it (or tried it, actually!) so we decided it was the perfect recipe for our E is for Egg week!

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This is such an easy recipe to throw together. If you need an amazing breakfast casserole for Easter or Mother’s Day (or Christmas or any day!), this is the one to make.

It took us maybe an hour to put together –including the time it takes for kiddos to chop, dice, and toss–so average time to make would probably be closer to 20 minutes. BUT, cooking with the kids really gets them involved and learning in the kitchen.

Start with 10 slices of bread. Chop them up into crouton-sized squares. We used whole wheat bread, but any type would do. This would even be an excellent way to use up day old bread.

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Once the bread is chopped, place half of it in the base of a large casserole dish. Don’t forget to spray with cooking spray first.

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Chop any vegetables. We used red, yellow, and green peppers, but this recipe would be amazing with mushrooms, tomatoes, asparagus, spinach, or any veggies you have on hand.

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Cut slices of ham into pieces. You could substitute the ham with sausage or bacon. I love the versatility of this recipe! Side-note: Using kitchen shears to cut the ham steaks is perfect for school-aged kids. They can easily cut ham into pieces while strengthening their hand muscles at the same time. I love (Amazon affiliate link) these kitchen shearsOvernight Egg Strata Recipe (6)(incidentally, a gift from one of the Aunts!) for all snipping in the kitchen!

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Chop up the veggies into small pieces. Children can use a safetykids’ knifeOvernight Egg Strata Recipe (8)to cut vegetables while becoming more confident and safer in their knife use while cooking. Be sure to provide adult supervision.

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Over the bread pieces, layer: vegetables, ham, half of the cheese, and the remaining chopped bread pieces.

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Sprinkling the cheese was a huge hit!

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Next comes the egg cracking part. My kids LOVE cracking eggs. Its a messy job…and there are ALWAYS eggs dripped on the counter tops…but they love it.

Stir together 10 eggs and 2 cups of milk in a large bowlOvernight Egg Strata Recipe (12).

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Mix well.

Pour the egg/milk mixture over the casserole ingredients. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

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Place the covered strata overnight in the refrigerator. Pull it out in the morning and bake at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes. It is delicious and makes the house smell amazing. My girls and I enjoyed eating our strata together as we talked about making it the day before.

Overnight Egg Strata Breakfast:

10 slices of white bread cubed

1 cup mushrooms (or any vegetables) chopped

1 small green pepper chopped

16 oz shredded cheddar cheese

1 ham steak cubed

8 eggs

2 cups milk

Spray a 9×13″ pan with non-stick spray.

Place half of the cubed bread on the bottom of the pan.

Sprinkle the veggies and then top with half of the cheese. Next, layer bread and ham and top with the remainder of the cheese.Mix the milk and eggs, make sure to whisk well.Pour the egg mixture over the cheese. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake covered at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes. Remove the cover for the last 10-15 minutes to get the cheese looking golden.

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This post is part of theCooking with Kids ABC series.

Be sure to try our other cooking with kids recipes:

Overnight Egg Strata Recipe (16)Overnight Egg Strata Recipe (17)Overnight Egg Strata Recipe (18)Overnight Egg Strata Recipe (19)

A is for Apple Dumplings Recipe

B is for Banana Cheesecake Bites

C is for Carrot Veggie Puffs Recipe

D is for Dough recipe

More ideas you will LOVE:

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Overnight Egg Strata Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do you have to refrigerate strata overnight? ›

Does a strata have to sit overnight? No – this is a quick dish that can be made the morning of serving it. However, I do recommend letting it sit in the fridge overnight before eating. The flavors mend nicely and the egg has time to soak into the croutons.

How far in advance can I make strata? ›

MAKE AHEAD: Strata improves when there is plenty of time for the bread to soak up the custard. Make this up to 12 hours ahead of baking. The strata will emerge from the oven puffed and gorgeous, then deflate. It can be served piping hot or at room temperature.

Why do you refrigerate egg casserole overnight? ›

The casserole is covered and refrigerated overnight to allow the liquid ingredients to be absorbed into the bread. This is a perishable mixture and should be cooked the morning or day after assembly. Bake in an oven set no lower than 325 °F. Most recipes suggest 350 °F.

How long can uncooked egg casserole be in the fridge? ›

At this point, you can either bake it right away or refrigerate the casserole overnight and for up to 24 hours. During this time, the flavors mingle together and the bread has a chance to soak up some of the liquid and flavor.

Why does strata have to sit overnight? ›

Many stratas call for assembling the strata and allowing it to sit overnight, refrigerated, so the bread soaks up the egg mixture. (The overnight soak is what makes this an ideal make-ahead dish.)

Why is my strata soggy? ›

(Just don't skip the sautéing. It's crucial because it cooks out excess liquid, which prevents the strata from becoming soggy.)

Can strata sit overnight? ›

Assemble your Strata, and Let it Sit

If you're not going to bake it right away (and you crisped up your bread pieces in the oven), cover it with foil and store it in the fridge overnight, then let it sit on the counter at least half an hour before baking so it's not so chilled.

Can strata be made 2 days ahead? ›

Pro-Tip: The strata can be prepared and baked up to two days in advance and reheated the morning of. To reheat the Make Ahead Breakfast Strata, remove it from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature while the oven preheats to 375 F.

Can egg bake sit out overnight? ›

Never leave cooked eggs or egg dishes out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours or for more than 1 hour when temperatures are above 90° F. Bacteria that can cause illness grow quickly at warm temperatures (between 40° F and 140° F).

What is the difference between a strata and a casserole? ›

What's the difference between strata and casserole? Stratas are essentially breakfast casseroles made of eggs and bread. Stratas are often prepared the night before they are baked and served in oven-safe casserole dishes, similar to casseroles.

Can I freeze egg strata? ›

Unfortunately as the strata contains what is effectively a savoury egg custard it does not freeze well either before or after baking. However you could probably assemble it up to 48 hours before it is needed, if this helps with your planning a little.

Can you make a casserole with raw eggs ahead of time? ›

Can You Make Egg Casserole Ahead of Time? This easy egg casserole is the perfect make-ahead breakfast. Simply combine the ingredients the night before and place the mixture in a prepared baking dish, then cover it tightly with storage wrap or foil. In the morning, bake the casserole according to the recipe.

How long can Strata stay in refrigerator? ›

All fillings should be cooked except asparagus (which will have enough time to cook in the oven if not too thick) and green onions. Crumbled goat cheese can be added as well (about 1/2 cup). Make Ahead: Baked breakfast strata can be kept in the fridge for 3-4 days. Strata can be frozen, covered, for up to 3 months.

Can you make egg casserole 2 days ahead without? ›

Cover the casserole and store it (unbaked) in the refrigerator overnight or up to one day. Bake in the morning, according to recipe instructions. To freeze breakfast casserole prepare the recipe and add to your pan. Cover well with plastic wrap and then tinfoil and freeze for 2-3 months.

Can you refrigerate casserole before baking? ›

Unless food will be frozen, it's safest and will provide the best quality product to start preparing most perishable foods no more than a day before a meal. For example, assemble a vegetable casserole a day in advance, refrigerate and then bake the day of your dinner.

Can you leave breakfast casserole out overnight? ›

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) food and safety basics states cooked food can be left at room temperature up to two hours. If the temperature outside (or inside your house) is 90°F or above, you should cut that time in half.

Can you make a strata 2 days ahead? ›

Pro-Tip: The strata can be prepared and baked up to two days in advance and reheated the morning of. To reheat the Make Ahead Breakfast Strata, remove it from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature while the oven preheats to 375 F.

How long can a strata soak? ›

Success Tip: Start Breakfast Strata Overnight

It's common to prep the casserole the night before so the eggs soak into the bread. If you can't do overnight, as short as 1 hour works in a pinch.

References

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