Can you imagine life without eggs? Or cheese? I can't. When I'm looking for a simple, quick meal it almost always includes one or both of these. On a hectic weekday, I'm happy to make toast and eggs for our evening meal, or a simple cheese quesadilla and a green salad.
And if I'm willing to add a bit more effort, I'll make a breakfast frittata or strata.
One of the things I like best about strata is that the majority of the cooking happens in the oven. So if you're entertaining or have overnight guests and want a hearty delicious breakfast you can spend more of your time socializing and less at the stove.
I chose gruyere for this strata, but smoked mozzarella or gouda would also be delicious. And you can certainly swap in spinach, arugula or other tasty green for the kale.
Baby Kale, Mushroom and Gruyere Strata
Ingredients
- 4 oz crusty sourdough bread cut into ½-inch cubes
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion cut in half and then into very thin slices
- 4 ounces button mushrooms coarsely chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 oz baby kale
- 3 oz shredded gruyere
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- On a rimmed baking sheet, spread bread cubes in a single layer and toast 3 to 5 minutes, until dry and lightly brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
- Whisk together eggs, milk, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and freshly ground black pepper in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Heat a 10-inch cast iron or other oven-proof skillet with a lid over medium-high heat. When hot, add butter and olive oil, stir just until the butter melts. Add onion and lightly sprinkle with salt. Cook and stir until tender and translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Add mushrooms, garlic, thyme, and ½ tsp. each salt and pepper. Cook and stir until mushrooms are soft, 2-3 minutes. Add baby kale; cook and stir until wilted about 1 minute.
- Stir shredded cheese and toasted bread cubes to egg mixture and gently stir to combine. Pour over mixture and stir to distribute ingredients evenly. Press to flatten.
- Cover and transfer skillet to oven, bake 10 minutes. Remove cover and bake 5 minutes more or until center is set. Let cool 5 minutes. Slice and serve.
I eat eggs so often and am always looking for a new way to make them. I love stratas because they are a little heartier than quiche. Looking forward to giving this a try!
I so love a good strata! The perfect mix of veggies, cheese, bread, and eggs! This looks great!
This makes for a perfect meal, about every 2 to 3 weeks, we have something similar to this for dinner, love this combination.
This frittata looks incredible! It has so many tasty things going on in there. I love it!
Our household is definitely one that enjoys omelettes for dinner on occasion! And this strata sounds like a great alternative one night! 😀