Veggie Strata

Veggie strata- the perfect set it and forget it meal. Perfect for a gathering or a quick reheat meal.

Stratas are a mixture of bread, milk, eggs and whatever else you wish to mix into them. They are a great way to use up leftovers from previous meals, whatever you have in the fridge, or even stale bread. The beauty of a strata is that it can be assembled the night, or day before(up to 24 hr in advance), and allow for hands off cooking the day next. 

Statas freeze well after being cooked, and reheat beautifully. They also taste great as leftovers 3-4 days after they are made. 

Stratas can be eaten at any time of day. They work well for breakfasts, brunch, lunch, dinners and even a potluck. 

They are easily scalable- meaning you can make a large amount for a big crowd, or can make a smaller amount and even portion into individual ramekins or muffin cups. 

Whether craving something sweet or savory, a strata can lean both ways. 

While this version leans savory, if a sweeter version is more your thing- check out this version for a fruit strata with your choice of fruit, vanilla, cinnamon, and optional mix-ins and toppings.

Veggie Strata

Ingredients:

6 c. Bread, cut into ¾-1 inch cubes

1 c. Milk

1 c. Eggs(about 4 eggs)

2-3 c. Cooked veggies of choice*

3- 4 oz. Cheese, shredded(any good melting cheese will work- mozzarella, swiss, cheddar)

Salt and pepper to taste 

*Cooked veggie ideas:

Sauteed veggies

Roasted Veggies

Steamed and cooled veggies

Leftover cooked veggies

Make sure your veggie mixture is cool before assembling. 

I used sautéed shallot, broccoli, diced red pepper, and mushrooms in the version that you see here(about 1-2 shallots diced, 2 c. cooked broccoli florets, cut into bite size pieces, 1 red pepper, diced and about ¾ cup, halved and sliced mushrooms, all seasoned with salt and pepper, during sautéing).

Method:

If you are using fresh bread: 

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. 

Place cut/torn bread onto a baking sheet, and place in the oven for about 10 minutes. 

The goal is to dry the bread out, not to toast it. After 10 minutes check on the bread and see how it feels. If it is slightly crusty/dry you are good to go. Take it out of the oven and allow it to cool.

If you are using stale bread, continue on to step 2! 

Spray an 8 x 8 or 2 qt oven safe dish with non-stick cooking spray. 

Place 1 c. milk and 1 c. egg in a liquid measuring cup, with a spout*

Season milk and egg mixture with salt and pepper and mix will. 

Place bread in the prepared baking dish. 

Add cooked veggies of choice evenly over the bread

Sprinkle the grated cheese over the bread and veggies. 

Pour the egg and milk mixture over the bread, veggies and cheese.

Push down on all the ingredients to allow the bread to soak up the egg and milk mixture. 

Cover your casserole dish with foil and place in the fridge, overnight, or up to 24 hrs, until you are ready to bake. 

*The measuring cup with spout is not required, it just makes it easier to pour.

To cook:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Place the covered in foil casserole into the oven and bake for 20 minutes. 

Remove the foil after 20 minutes and bake for 20 minutes more.

The casserole is done, when the cheese is melted, the center is springy, there is no liquid in the dish and a toothpick when inserted into the middle of the casserole comes out clean. You can also take the temperature of the casserole- it should read 160 degrees.

When the casserole is done, allow it to sit for at least 5-10 minutes before cutting to allow things to settle. 

Did you make this recipe? 

Let me know what you think of it in the comments below!