Sweet Potato and Apple Strata

Sweet Potato and Apple Breakfast Strata Recipe

If you love a hearty weekend breakfast, but don’t want to spend your Saturday morning cooking, a good overnight breakfast casserole recipe will save the day. This Sweet Potato and Apple Breakfast Strata recipe is savory and sweet, perfect for holiday entertaining. Try this easy make ahead breakfast casserole with a drizzle of warm maple syrup and a rash of bacon or ham for a heavenly start to your holiday.

 

sweet potatoes and sliced apples for easy make ahead breakfast casserole.

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I admit it. This egg strata recipe was an afterthought. I was focused on remaking my savory sweet potato casserole and in my zeal — I ended up with leftover sweet potato and apple that had already been peeled and sliced.  There wasn’t a ton, but I had enough, along with a bit of gruyere cheese and french bread that was also leftover to make this easy overnight breakfast casserole. Let me say, that as good as these flavors are in that holiday side dish, they’re really exceptional in this breakfast strata recipe.

 

whisking eggs for overnight breakfast casserole recipe

Overnight breakfast casserole recipes are nothing new. They were my Mom’s go-to main dish for holiday brunches simply because it is an easy make ahead breakfast casserole. Put out a big strata, bake off a ham and pour the mimosas… it’s party time.

 

adding sage to egg custard mixture.

The flavors in this overnight breakfast casserole recipe are perfect for fall and winter — which is to say, Thanksgiving and Christmas… The egg custard is seasoned with a healthy dose of fresh sage and the sliced apples get a touch of warming nutmeg. It’s all very subtle, but also very good.

 

grating gruyere for strata.

I used gruyere cheese for this egg strata recipe because its got a nutty flavor, it melts beautifully and also adds a shimmer to the crunchy top layer of french bread. You could also try emmenthaler or swiss cheese instead — or even a white cheddar would be nice.

 

assembling sweet potato and apple breakfast strata recipe.

To simplify the layering, I treated this easy overnight breakfast casserole like a sandwich.  Bread on the top and bottom and fillings inside. I layer the french bread on top of the casserole, then fill in the gaps with smaller pieces of bread, so that the top crust is a uniform blanket of golden crunch. (That sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?)

Adding cheese before baking breakfast strata recipe.

What You Need To Make Sweet Potato and Apple Breakfast Strata Recipe:

  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Nutmeg
  • Apples
  • Gruyere Cheese
  • Eggs
  • Milk
  • Fresh Sage
  • French Baguette

 

Sweet Potato and Apple Breakfast Strata recipe in a casserole dish.

This easy overnight breakfast casserole just takes a few steps to come together.

  1. Sauté the apples with nutmeg.
  2. Chop the sweet potatoes very fine (so they cook quickly) (I used a food processor to chop mine).
  3. Saute the sweet potatoes until tender.
  4.  Whisk together the eggs, milk and herbs for the custard.
  5. Shred the gruyere cheese. (I prefer the fine grate on a box grater).
  6. Remove the crust on the french bread and cut into rounds.
  7. Layer the ingredients starting with a layer of bread, followed by sweet potatoes, gruyere cheese, apples and another layer of bread.
  8. Pour the custard over the sweet potato and apple breakfast strata and gently press the bread into the custard to start it soaking up the egg mixture.
  9. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
  10. Preheat the oven and while it’s heating, sprinkle a little extra gruyere over the top of this easy make ahead breakfast casserole.
  11. Bake.

 

Golden brown egg strata recipe straight from the oven.

So, this is my sweet potato and apple breakfast strata recipe.  Whatd’ya think? The sweet potatoes in this dish are so tender that they’re basically just providing a creamy, barely sweet backdrop to the tart spiced apples. The top layer of bread and cheese bake into a crackly crust that my tasters were sneaking pieces of.  This is delicious on its own, or with the requisite bacon, sausage or ham, but it also benefits from a drizzle of warm maple syrup.  Don’t forget it.

 

A slice of sweet potato and apple breakfast strata recipe.

My taste testers loved it and went back for more and Scott claimed “dibs” on the leftovers for his lunch the next day.

 

adding syrup to easy overnight breakfast casserole.

More breakfast stratas you’ll love:

Print Pin
5 from 5 votes

Sweet Potato Apple Breakfast Strata

Savory and slightly sweet, this breakfast casserole can be made a day ahead and baked off in the morning for an easy main dish. Great for entertaining.
Author: Lisa Lotts
Course Breakfast, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword breakfast casserole, casserole, strata
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 6

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 1 large sweet potato peeled and grated or chopped in a food processor
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt divided
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper divided
  • 2 granny smith apples peeled and thinly sliced
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 ½ cups gruyere cheese shredded
  • 5 large eggs
  • 1 ½ cups milk
  • 1 tablespoon fresh sage finely chopped
  • ½ loaf french baguette crusts trimmed, cut into 1/2" thick slices

DIRECTIONS:

  • Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet with a lid over medium to medium high heat. Add the apples and nutmeg and sauté, stirring occasionally until the apples are tender, but not mushy. Transfer apples to a small bowl and set aside.
  • Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the skillet and add the sweet potato to the pan. Stir.  Sprinkle with half of the salt and pepper. Place the lid on the skillet so that it's slightly askew and cook the potatoes, stirring occasionally until just tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to a bowl and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk the eggs together, then add the milk, sage and remaining salt and pepper.
  • Spray an 8" or 9" casserole dish with vegetable spray. Line the bottom of the casserole with half of the french bread slices. 
  • Add the sautéed sweet potatoes and spread evenly over the bread. 
  • Sprinkle half of the gruyere cheese over the sweet potatoes. 
  • Layer the sautéed apples evenly over the cheese. 
  • Top the apples with the remaining bread slices, breaking or tearing any pieces that don't fit and wedging them into open spaces.
  • Pour the egg mixture evenly over the casserole.  Lightly press the top of the casserole with your hands to start it soaking up the custard.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
  • The next day, preheat the oven to 350°. Remove the casserole from the refrigerator while the oven preheats. Bake the strata for 50-65 minutes or until top is crusty and golden and the egg custard has set. 
  • Let the strata rest for 10 minutes before serving.

NOTES:

*This recipe can be doubled.
**If you'd like to add meat to this casserole (it'd be really good) Add 1/2 pound cooked bulk sausage or diced ham and layer it over the sweet potatoes when you're assembling the casserole.

NUTRITION:

Calories: 364kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 197mg | Sodium: 518mg | Potassium: 252mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 715IU | Vitamin C: 2.8mg | Calcium: 451mg | Iron: 1.6mg

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6 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Breakfast stratas are such a great option for breakfast for a crowd. I love the sound of the flavors in this one – more unusual but deliciously comforting!

    1. Thank you Caroline! I agree strata are perfect for a crowd.

  2. 5 stars
    Love the idea of making this ahead for the holiday weekend when we have so many extra mouths to feed….breakfast, lunch, dinner…snacks. Would really take the pressure off and I think everyone will love this recipe. Thank you.

  3. 5 stars
    I never would have thought to have something like this for breakfast, but it looks delicious and nice and filling.

  4. 5 stars
    What a gorgeous, hearty way to start the day! Would be perfect before going out holiday shopping! Love the combination of apple and sweet potato…and of course, that beautiful cheese! 🙂