We all know about bread puddings, quiche and frittatas, but have you heard of a strata? This rustic kale and mushroom strata is an eggy, cheesy breakfast bread pudding filled with kale, mushrooms, garlic, onions, herbs and lots of cheese making it a truly delicious savory meal that can be enjoyed any time of day!
This strata is super versatile, so if you like the sound of it, but don’t have some of the ingredients, feel free to substitute! As long as you keep the volumes the same, stratas are very forgiving, so swapping veggies, herbs and cheeses is usually deliciously successful.
Let’s get started…
When it comes to the ingredients in this strata, each one is delicious on its own, so you just know when they are all combined in one dish… things are about to get amazing!
For a strata that will feed 6 or meal prep breakfast for the entire week, you will need…
- 4 cups of rustic bread hand torn into bite sized pieces – ciabatta, baguettes, sourdough work great here!
- 2 tablespoons of butter – I always use salted butter, but use what you have on hand
- 1 medium yellow onion – any onion will work, along with shallots or even leeks!
- 2 cloves of garlic – as an Italian, garlic is non-negotiable.
- 8 ounces of mushrooms – cremini, portobello, shiitake or even wild mushrooms if you have some on hand.
- 2 cups of kale – if you don’t love kale, you could also use spinach, chard or collard greens.
- 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs – thyme, oregano, tarragon, rosemary, dill, parsley… all herbs are welcome!
- 1 cup of fontina – gruyere, gouda and provolone are great substitutions for fontina
- 1 cup of parmesan – pecorino, grana padano or asiago are great substitutions for parmesan
- 8 large eggs
- 1 cup of whole milk
- 1 cup of heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons of dijon mustard – you could also use a stone ground mustard or even a spicy brown!
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg – you may want to omit this spice, but it adds something special that I highly recommend!
Begin by sautéing the garlic, onions and mushrooms in some butter until everything is tender.
Add 2 cups of kale and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Just enough to wilt the kale down a bit.
While the vegetables are cooking, tear your bread into bite sized pieces and whisk 8 large eggs with 1 cup of whole milk, 1 cup of heavy cream, 2 teaspoons of dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg in a large bowl.
Once the vegetables are tender, toss them with the bread and your fontina and parmesan and spread the mixture evenly into a buttered 2 quart deep baking dish. Pour the custard mixture oven the bread mixture and press down a bit to ensure all of the bread is soaked in custard. Set the dish aside for 30 minutes to allow the bread plenty of time to soak up all of the flavors before baking.
Once the strata has rested for 30 minutes, cover it tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven.
After 20 minutes, remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes or until the custard is set.
This strata is rich, flavorful and ultra comforting and while it is most definitely a full meal on its own, I love serving it with lightly dressed greens and some fresh fruit.
If you haven’t tried a strata yet, I really hope you try this one. I really think you are going to love it!
Rustic Kale & Mushroom Strata
Ingredients
- 4 cups of rustic bread, hand torn
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 8 ounces of mushrooms, sliced (cremini, portobello, shiitake)
- 2 cups of kale, stems removed and sliced
- 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs, finely minced (thyme, oregano, tarragon)
- 1 cup of fontina, shredded
- 1 cup of parmesan, shredded
- 8 large eggs
- 1 cup of whole milk
- 1 cup of heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons of dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
Instructions
- Place a large skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of butter
- Add a medium diced yellow onion, 2 large finely minced cloves of garlic and 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms and sauté until tender (5-6 minutes)
- Add 2 cups of thinly sliced kale, cover the skillet and cook until the kale has wilted down a bit (another 2-3 minutes)
- Transfer the skillet off of the heat
- In a large bowl, toss the torn bread, sautéed vegetables, herbs, 1 cup of shredded fontina and 1 cup of shredded parmesan until evenly distributed and spread the mixture into a buttered 2 quart baking dish (an 8”x8” or similar)
- In the same bowl, whisk 8 large eggs with 1 cup of whole milk, 1 cup of heavy cream, 2 teaspoons of dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
- Pour the cream mixture over and press down a bit on the bread until it has all soaked up some of the mixture
- Set the baking dish aside for about 30 minutes and preheat your oven to 350°
- Tightly cover the strata with foil
- Bake covered in a 350° for 20 minutes
- Uncover the dish and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until the custard is set
