Holiday Breakfast Egg Strata

My egg strata has spicy sausage, spinach, and Gouda cheese. Make this breakfast casserole recipe for a tasty, impressive holiday breakfast!

Egg strata is always a house favorite to serve when we have out of town guests. It hits all the marks for a hearty and filling breakfast all in one pan! Plus, it makes a great addition to any weekend brunch or holiday gathering since it can be made ahead of time.

If you need other breakfast ideas, try my Crustless Spinach Quiche with Ham. It’s just as easy to make and also feeds a crowd.

My Pesto Prosciutto Dutch Baby is a delicious, savory cross between a popover and Yorkshire pudding. Or, make Savory Egg Clouds in under 10 minutes!

What is strata?

The dish is a baked breakfast casserole with layers of ingredients over a base of day old bread and freshly grated cheese. 

Eggs and milk are whisked together and poured over the ingredients before the pan is put into the oven for a quick bake..

Some recipes include a variety of meats, while others are loaded with vegetables, making the egg breakfast casserole very adaptable. It’s easy to create a delicious baked egg strata, no matter what your dietary concerns may be.

Egg strata

You’ll start the recipe by browning the sausage, shredding the cheese, and layering everything together in the pan. It’s really that simple!

Because the mixture needs to sit in the refrigerator overnight, you will need to start making it the day before serving. This is to ensure that the bread has time to soak up the liquids.

If you want to save a few minutes of extra work, you can chop the bread into small pieces, and then mix everything together in a bowl. Then, instead of creating separate layers, simply spread the mixture into a baking dish.

Ingredients notes and substitutions

Note: This is just a partial list of ingredients. For the full ingredient list, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

• Italian hot sausages – These add a nice kick to the dish, but make sure to remove the sausages from the casing so the texture is more like chunks instead of coins. For a milder flavor, use your favorite brand of breakfast sausage instead.
• Bread – Sourdough adds a really nice texture and tangy flavor, and it really soaks up the egg mixture since it’s more porous. A French loaf would make a great substitute if needed.
• Spinach – Either fresh or frozen is fine depending on what’s available. For frozen, be sure to thaw and drain it really well, squeezing out the extra moisture so the egg breakfast casserole doesn’t become too soggy.
• Gouda – Feel free to use a different cheese if you prefer. I just really like the rich, smoky flavor of Gouda. And always grate your cheese by hand since pre-bagged shreds don’t melt as smoothly from the added preservatives.
• Butter – If you want to reduce the amount of butter, you can mix everything together instead of layering it. Or, add a little extra flavor by using compound herb butter instead!

Breakfast casserole recipe video

Making an egg strata isn’t difficult at all; it’s basically just a baked egg casserole! To see exactly how to make it, step by step, watch the video in the recipe card below.

How to make egg strata

Brown the sausage. Make sure to break the meat into smaller pieces and drain off the grease when done.

Layer: Butter the baking dish and one side of each of the bread slices. Add half of each ingredient to the pan, starting with the bread slices. Then, repeat with the other half.

Add the egg mixture. Whisk together the eggs, milk, and spices until well combined. Pour over the pan slowly, making sure to get it into all the nooks and crannies.

Chill: Cover the pan tightly with foil and refrigerate overnight.

Bake: The next day, pull the pan out while you preheat the oven to remove the chill. Then, bake uncovered for about an hour or until the eggs are cooked through.

Recipe notes

Storage and reheating

Refrigerate any leftovers within 2 hours and use within 3-4 days. You can either cover the pan tightly with foil or transfer slices to an airtight container. 

Heat slices in the microwave or the whole pan in the oven until warmed through.

Other vegetables to use

Saute some onions and mushrooms after you brown the sausage, or layer in thinly sliced zucchini and bell peppers instead of the spinach.

This recipe is a great way to use up any leftover odds and ends in your produce drawer too!

What to serve with your holiday breakfast

Since the egg strata already has a little bit of everything in it, you can enjoy it on its own for a complete breakfast.

Or, pair it with some crispy roasted gold potatoes, fresh fruit or blood orange salad, and a refreshing beverage of your choice!

This recipe, first published on Kevin Is Cooking in March 2016, was updated with new content December 23, 2020.

Holiday Breakfast Egg Strata + Video

My egg strata has spicy sausage, spinach, and Gouda cheese. Make this breakfast casserole recipe for a tasty, impressive holiday breakfast!

4.67 from 3 votes

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Course: breakfasts

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 597kcal

Author: Kevin Is Cooking

Ingredients

• 4 links hot Italian sausage removed from casings
• 6-8 slices sourdough bread or 4 sourdough sandwich rolls chopped
• 4 tbsp butter optional
• 1 lb fresh spinach or 10 oz fresh frozen, thawed and drained
• 1/2 lb Gouda cheese grated
• 8 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk or half and half
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper or to taste
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg optional

Instructions

• In a skillet brown sausage and break up any lumps, drain and set aside.
• You can either layer this recipe (directions follow or mix the chopped bread, cooked sausage, spinach and cheese all up in a bowl and then add to buttered pan. This cuts out the layering and extra butter.
• Coat a 9”x9” baking dish with some butter and with the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter spread it over the bread slices. Place 3 slices butter side up in baking dish, squeeze to fit.
• Layer half the spinach, then cheese, then sausage over bread. Place remaining bread slices on top, butter side down this time and top with the remaining spinach, cheese and sausage.
• In a mixing bowl whisk the eggs, milk, and spices until blended. Pour this mixture over the layered strata pan slowly to absorb completely. 

  OR IF NOT LAYERING pour the egg mixture over the chopped bread, cooked sausage, spinach and cheese in a bowl. Mix thoroughly and place in prepared baking dish.
• Cover the pan with foil and place in the refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes prior to cooking.
• Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Bake the strata uncovered for 1 hour or until it has risen and is a golden brown. Let cool enough to slice and enjoy.

Notes

You can either layer the bread, spinach, cheese and sausage and pour egg mixture over all in pan OR in a bowl add chopped bread pieces, spinach, cheese and sausage.  Pour egg mixture over all, mix and then add to buttered pan. This cuts out the layering and extra butter.

 

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Nutrition

Calories: 597kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 281mg | Sodium: 1146mg | Potassium: 687mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 5996IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 368mg | Iron: 5mg

Have you made this recipe? Let me know on InstagramTag @KevinIsCooking and hashtag me #keviniscooking!