Quick Holiday Morning Strata
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.

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
- 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
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
Hi Teri! Do you think this could be made with gluten free bread and still be just as delicious? Thanks!
It totally depends on the GF bread. If you are using LaBrea or Canyon…then it will be ok with GF bread. But if you are using one of the standard GF breads…it just might not turn out. If you want to talk more about it…feel free to direct message me on Instagram!!
This is going in the oven this morning! Can’t wait!
love it…hope it turned out great!!
Made this for Christmas morning and it was very good. After 1 hour it was quite soggy after letting cool for a bit. I baked an additional 20 mins and it was better but still quite wet. Since I’ve never made this before I’m not sure if it is supposed to be that way or not. Next time I would probably reduce the milk amount. Very tasty though!
So glad that your strada turned out tasty….it should have a custard/bread pudding type texture when it’s cooked. Letting it rest overnight in the fridge definitely helps.
I feel like something of a fool asking this, but I have no idea what ‘Instagram Stories’ are or how to access them. I looked at your Instagram page for a long time and was not enlightened. How do I follow them or even see them?
The circle where her profile pic is, click it for her story. Should also be at the header of your Instagram.
Do not feel like a fool. I literally had to have a CHILD show me. I was mortified. AHAHAHAHAA
This will be great for upcoming brunch
Hope your brunch was awesome…doesn’t this make great leftovers too??
I have never had strada, I’m looking forward to trying this. I truly enjoy your Instagram stories. You are like my Aunt in the kitchen, a joy to watch, art in motion. Thank you for sharing your love of cooking.
Thank you so much for the love!
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Would you cook the bacon or sausage separate and add at the end? Would peppers and onions work?
If you do sausage I would do it before and then stick it in the recipe, if you do bake and make it crispy and do it on top once it comes out. I would sauté peppers or onions a bit together before sticking it in
Hi Teri – I made this for the “morning after” a girl’s holiday party. I used Canyon GF bread, and unsweetened coconut milk (only because I didn’t have real milk on hand!). Added onion, peppers, mushrooms and sausage. I wasn’t sure how this would hold up, but must say it was delish! Followed cooking directions and no problems. The girls loved it and wanted your recipe. Thanks for always providing the best recipes!
★★★★★
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