Oh my stars! I mean strata. We’re brunching reeeeeal strong today. Raise your hand if you know what a strata is. I only do because of my mom. Hello, mumsy! She’s the first to read my blog posts (and send me typos) every morning while she sips her coffee. And she makes a mean brunch! I see her more in me every day, like when I make fruit salad and plate in a glass pie platter. Or when I fish through my purse for my keys for ten minutes beside my car. Or when I plan brunch and deem strata the star because…bread. And because my mom used to always make it. A strata is basically an egg casserole with a bunch of bread and cheese in it. Twist my arm! I love quiche, but when your laziness level leans towards tearing leftover bread into cubes rather than making a crust, strata it is.
I’ve served this twice for brunch so far and there were no crumbs left behind. It’s super satisfying, simple to whip up, and it makes a big pan to easily serve a crowd. If you’re on team whip-up-a-strata-or-do-laundry-on-saturday-night, you’ll be pleased to know that you can make this at night, cover it with plastic wrap, and then bake it off in the morning. Setting the table and making enough coffee and perhaps baking muffins is enough pre-company work. There’s something magical about getting a little cooking done Saturday night, too. Such a good feeling come the Sunday scaries! Most strata recipes call for all the heavy cream/whole milk/cheese in the land, so my mission for this breakfast dream casserole was to create a flavorful, filling recipe that wouldn’t make me feel like I had to unbutton my pants, if you will. I found unsweetened almond milk to work wonders here. The greek yogurt and cream cheese (I used my Vegan Cashew Cream Cheese) add amazing tang without needing a bunch of extra cheese.
Do yourself a favor and drizzle your strata with a hefty splash of Frank’s hot sauce. Flavortown! Funny story. The second time I made this, I accidentally used unsweetened vanilla almond milk. No bueno. No one noticed…or so they said. But do as I say, not I do, and use unsweetened and unflavored milk of choice. Cow, coconut, rice, pea, cashew, they’ll all be just marvelous. This baby is not only insanely hearty and satisfying, but it’s also super customizable. I used a big onion, baby bella mushrooms, broccoli, and tomatoes, but I’ve also made it with asparagus and bell peppers, sun dried tomatoes, etc. Kale or spinach would be lovely, too. And you can use whatever cheese you like! Cheddar, feta, Swiss, mozzarella, gruyere, parmesan, I mean I really can’t think of a cheese that wouldn’t be magnificent all huggy huggy with eggs and bread. K FINE BLUE CHEESE. Ew. Oh, and you should totally make this for easter brunch! I’ll be eating…matzah. Hello, brunch bombshell! Print
