Here is an old-school 1950’s recipe passed down from my grandmother for holiday strata. It’s easy to do the night before and bake in the oven the day of. It’s perfect for a busy morning.  This recipe is like coming home and reminds me of my mom, gone 17 years, but not forgotten. All of that history, love, and heart exists in this recipe for me.

plain strata in a baking dish

This strata is a great recipe to make with kids. It’s simple to assemble but makes for a fun event for the whole family. It’s the kind of recipe that becomes a tradition of the heart each year. Is there anything better than an old school family recipe? If you’re looking for other family favorites, I also love this corn soufflé and onion soufflé.

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Strata

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: nocrumbsleft
  • Prep Time: 5 min (plus overnight marinating)
  • Cook Time: 1 hr
  • Total Time: 1 hr 5 min
  • Yield: 5-6 servings
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Oven
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Description

This holiday morning strata is a great family recipe. I love enjoying this Christmas morning!

Ingredients

  •   10 ounces gluten-free bread, white and soft, or 6 slices regular bread, white and soft
    •   (We used 6 slices Canyon Bakehouse Gluten Free Heritage Honey White, smaller loaves will require more)
  •   1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  •   3 large eggs, beaten
  •   2 1/2 cups milk
  •   4 teaspoons dry mustard
  •   1 teaspoon kosher salt
  •   2 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided

Instructions

  1.   Cut the crusts off of the bread slices. Butter one side of each slice, then cut them into 1 1/2-inch squares. Depending on the size of your bread, that could be cutting the slices into quarters or sixths. Lay the cut bread, buttered side up, in one layer in a medium-sized baking dish. If you have butter left over, flip the squares over in the dish and butter the unbuttered sides.
  2.   Beat the eggs, milk, dry mustard, and salt together. Then stir in ½ cup of the cheddar cheese. Pour over the bread in the pan. Sprinkle it with remaining 2 cups of cheddar cheese. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
  3.   When you are ready to bake, remove the pan from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 350° The strata should rest outside of the fridge for 30 to 45 minutes, you do not want to bake right out of the fridge.
  4.   Bake until golden brown, approximately 1 hour. Check to see if fully cooked at 45 minutes and, if needed, tent it loosely with foil and cook an additional 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve warm.
  5.   Enjoy!

Notes

This is my mom’s recipe. It’s fine to have a simpler one like this for Christmas morning for the kids, but it’s also fun to make and offer something a little more interesting.

Keywords: strata, holiday recipe