Breakfast Strata with Bacon
Inside: Why stale bread is the magic ingredient for any strata recipe, and an overnight soak before baking is essential.
This breakfast strata with bacon is one of those recipes you’ll come back to again and again. Loaded with crispy bacon, melty cheese, and sweet caramelized onions, it’s a savory, satisfying egg strata recipe that works just as well for a weekend brunch as it does for holidays.
A strata is essentially a savory bread casserole—layers of bread soaked in a seasoned egg-and-milk custard and baked until golden, with a crisp top and a soft, custardy center. It’s an easy method that’s endlessly customizable and I use it for my Spinach and Mushroom Breakfast Strata, Hatch Chile Strata and Sausage Egg & Cheese Stuffed Bread Strata. But when I’m craving a breakfast casserole with bacon, this is one I reach for.
What makes this overnight breakfast strata so reliable is the make-ahead factor. You can assemble it the night before and bake it fresh in the morning, which is exactly what you want for Christmas morning, Easter, or an easy weekend brunch.
This bacon breakfast casserole strikes a balance between rich and comforting without being heavy. The caramelized onions add a subtle sweetness that plays off the smoky bacon, making this an easy egg casserole that’s a delicious brunch dish with fruit salad and a brunch cocktail.
Why This Recipe Works:
- Stale bread makes the texture–Slightly dry bread soaks up the custard without falling apart, and that’s key. Fresh, soft bread breaks down too quickly and turns mushy, so skipping this step changes the whole structure of the strata. For soft, custardy layers inside and a golden, crisp top, stale bread is a must.
- Make-ahead-friendly for stress-free mornings–Letting the strata rest overnight allows the bread to fully absorb the egg mixture, resulting in a fluffy, rich center with no dry spots. This recipe benefits from pre-planning (ensuring your bread is stale and having caramelized onions at the ready.
- Caramelized onions add real depth–Slowly cooked onions bring a subtle sweetness that balances the smoky bacon and makes this strata taste more complex than a typical breakfast casserole. (I’ve got an alternate method if you don’t have time to caramelize onions)
- Custardy inside, golden on top–The egg-to-bread ratio gives you that perfect contrast of a soft, rich interior with a crunchy, golden crust.
- Built for a crowd (and flexible)–This bacon breakfast strata is easy to scale and simple to customize with different cheeses, vegetables, or proteins depending on what you have.
Breakfast Strata Ingredients:
- Bacon – I recommend thicker cut bacon for more heft and flavor; it adds smoky, savory depth and a little richness that carries through every bite. Cook until crisp for the best texture.
- Baby bella or button mushrooms – For an earthy, umami flavor that makes the strata feel more substantial. Sauté and brown them to ensure they release their moisture; preventing a watery casserole.
- Caramelized onions – The secret weapon—slow-cooked onions add a subtle sweetness and deep flavor that balances the bacon beautifully. I usually caramelize a 5-pound bag and keep smaller containers in the freezer, so I’ve always got this ingredient at the ready. See my post for step-by-step instructions on how to caramelize onions.
- Stale Italian or sourdough bread – The backbone of any good strata is a crusty bread loaf that’s gone stale. Slightly dry bread soaks up the custard without turning mushy. Pro-Tip: Buy the bread a day or two in advance and cut it into cubes. Leave them out uncovered overnight to accelerate their staleness. You can also use a baguette, but the crusts should be removed, before dicing.
- Mozzarella cheese – Melts smoothly and adds that classic cheesy pull without overpowering the other flavors. You can also substitute other cheeses
- Parsley – Optional, but it freshens everything up and adds a little color to balance the richness.
- Eggs – The binder that transforms everything into a soft, custardy bake.
- Milk – Lightens the eggs and creates that tender, creamy custard.
- Kosher salt – I recommend Diamond Crystal kosher salt, which is less salty by volume than Morton’s. If you have Morton’s reduce the amount by about ⅓.
- White pepper – Adds mild heat without visible specks, keeping the custard clean-looking. If you don’t have white pepper, substitute fresh ground black pepper.
- Cayenne pepper – Just a pinch wakes up the whole dish without making it too spicy.
- Dry mustard – A quiet flavor booster that enhances the cheese flavor and adds a subtle tang.
- Dried thyme – Brings a warm, herby note that pairs especially well with mushrooms and onions.
- Onion powder – Reinforces the caramelized onion flavor for a deeper, more cohesive taste.
Step-by-step instructions:
- Caramelize onions. You can do this several days ahead and store them in the refrigerator, or use previously frozen caramelized onions. (I always keep a few containers in the freezer for occasions like this).
2. Trim away the crusts and cut the stale bread into 1″ cubes, or if the bread is fresh, cut it into cubes and place it in a shallow, wide bowl. Spread the bread cubes out so they have a lot of contact with the air, and let them sit out for several hours or overnight to dry out.
3. Cut the bacon into pieces and fry until crisp; drain on paper towels.
4. Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon fat and brown the sliced mushrooms in it. Lightly salt the fungi and sauté until browned, and most of the liquid has been released.
5. Combine the stale bread with the add-ins: bacon, mushrooms and caramelized onions.
6. Add the shredded cheese and parsley and toss to combine; Butter or spray a 2-quart casserole dish and fill it with the bread, bacon and cheese mixture.
7. Blend the egg custard in a large mixing bowl, combining the eggs, mustard powder, white pepper, cayenne pepper, onion powder and dried thyme. Whisk to combine, then whisk in the milk.
Pour the egg custard evenly over the top, cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove the breakfast casserole the next morning, about 30 minutes before baking, to take the chill off.
9. Bake the mushroom, onion and bacon strata at 375°F for 50-60 minutes, until the top is crisp and golden brown and the interior is cooked through without any egg liquid in the center. (Test with a knife poked into the center).
Pro-Tips:
- Cut bacon into bite-size pieces before frying, for more even blending throughout the breakfast caserole.
- Cook out all the moisture–Mushrooms are mostly water, so it’s important that you sauté at a high enough heat for them to release their liquid. If needed, cook them in batches in a little bacon fat over medium-high heat, letting them sit undisturbed so they release their liquid and brown properly instead of steaming.
- Stale bread is key for a good strata—it soaks up the custard without turning mushy. Use a sturdy loaf like sourdough or Italian, and let it dry out ahead of time (or cube it and leave it out overnight) so it holds its structure when baked.
Swaps and Variations for bacon breakfast casserole:
- Swap sautéed or grilled onions for caramelized onions. Don’t use raw onion.
- Swap shredded cheddar, gruyere, gouda, pepper jack, feta or Swiss cheese for the mozzarella.
- Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over the bacon breakfast casserole before baking.
- Substitute other vegetables for onions and mushrooms, such as kale, yellow or red peppers or spinach; sauté them first, as raw vegetables won’t soften while baking in the bacon strata.
- Summer squash is another option, but it should be sautéed and dried before adding, as it is mostly liquid.
FAQs
Frittatas are whisked eggs with cooked vegetables, meats and/or cheese, cooked in a skillet until set on the bottom, then finished in the oven. Stratas are breakfast casseroles made with stale bread, mix-ins such as vegetables, proteins like bacon or sausage, and cheese, topped with a simple egg custard.
A frittata can be a last-minute dish, whereas breakfast stratas benefit from being made a day in advance so the custard fully absorbs before baking.
Stratas are actually an American creation, popularized in The Silver Palate Cookbook. Side note: My mother started making stratas after reading about them in this book {affiliate link}.
Soak the strata for at least 2 hours so the bread fully absorbs the custard, and there are no dry spots. For best results, let it rest overnight for a more evenly flavored, tender bake.
Make ahead:
- This recipe is make ahead, however you can make the caramelized onions several days ahead of time, or make them months ahead and freeze them until you’re ready to make the strata. Defrost first.
- Buy and cube the bread several days ahead for the best results.
Storage:
- Store leftovers covered in the casserole dish in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Reheating:
- Reheat in a low oven (300°F) for 15 minutes, covered in foil until heated through; then remove the foil and continue to heat for 5-8 minutes until the crust is crunchy.
- You can also reheat in the microwave, however, it won’t retain the crunchy crust as well.
Freezing:
- Bake the bacon and egg breakfast casserole and cool it to room temperature. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost before reheating at 300° for 30 minutes.
What goes with bacon breakfast casserole with caramelized onion?
- Baked Ham Shank Recipe
- Quick and Easy Tropical Fruit Salad
- Hearts of Palm Salad
- Ruby Thyme Spritzers
- Sugar n’ Spice Broiled Grapefruit
Breakfast Strata with Bacon
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
- 1 2 quart casserole dish
INGREDIENTS:
- ½ pound bacon chopped
- 16 ounces baby bella or button mushrooms sliced
- 1 cup caramelized onions
- 5 cups stale Italian or Sourdough bread crusts trimmed away and cut into 1" cubes
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- 5 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cups milk
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dry mustard
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
DIRECTIONS:
THE DAY BEFORE SERVING THE STRATA:
- Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium high heat. When the skillet is hot, add ½ pound bacon and cook until crispy. Transfer the bacon to a dish lined with paper towels to soak up excess grease. Discard all but one tablespoon of the bacon grease.
- Add 16 ounces baby bella or button mushrooms to the skillet and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until the mushrooms give up their liquid and begin to brown.
- In a large bowl, combine 5 cups stale Italian or Sourdough bread, crisped bacon, browned mushrooms and 1 cup caramelized onions. The caramelized onions may stick together, so use your fingers to spread them apart and toss the mixture until everything is evenly combined.
- Add ¼ cup chopped parsley and 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, then toss again to distribute the ingredients evenly.
- Spray a 2 quart casserole with vegetable spray. Transfer the bread mixture to the casserole and spread evenly.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 5 large eggs, 1 ¼ cups milk, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon white pepper, ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ¼ teaspoon dry mustard, ½ teaspoon dried thyme and ½ teaspoon onion powder. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the strata. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
- Remove the casserole from the refrigerator about half an hour before baking to take the chill off.
- Preheat the oven to 375°. When the oven has heated, place the casserole in the center of the oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the center has cooked through and the top is golden and puffed.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
NOTES:
NUTRITION:
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This was delish! Made it for Easter brunch and everyone loved it. I used Gruyere instead of mozz. Will def make this again.
I have never tasted a Strata before. This is, hands down, the best breakfast casserole I have ever had!
Now this is a very unique recipe. I’ve never tried a strata, but it sounds like a great idea for holiday weekend breakfasts. Your flavor combo is spot on.
Had this for brunch – yum!
I’m always on the lookout for make-ahead breakfast ideas, and this egg strata casserole looks like one my family would love. Pinning to make soon … thanks!
This would be perfect for a weekend brunch! 🙂
This is outstanding! It will now be a staple at any brunch that I attend in the future. Soooo good!