Everything Bagel Breakfast Strata

BREAKFAST STRATA!

Anyone else immediately think of that scene from The Family Stone with SJP getting her family’s strata recipe together? Then she learns Everett is allergic to mushrooms and the next day the casserole dish ends up all over the floor and herself?

Man I love that movie. It is my FAVORITE to watch during the holidays. I’m actually surprised I haven’t watched it yet but I kind of like to save it for just *right* before Christmas.

Anyways what I am getting at is that I associate breakfast strata with The Family Stone.

I haven’t actually made breakfast strata until now, but this everything bagel version is about to be new family tradition I will most definitely be starting.

The idea came from my older sister’s bachelorette party. Her maid of honor was prepping the strata the night before but if we’re being honest, I wasn’t paying much attention. Come morning time we’re all gathered around the table and raving about this breakfast strata Cece made. I asked her what kind of bread she used and she said it was everything bagel.

And I looked at her and said, “But what kind of bread?” 

And she said, “Everything bagel…”

And I said, “The seasoning? …But what about the bread? Like ciabatta?”

And she repeated herself (for the third time at this point) and said, “No, like an everything bagel.” 

I’m laughing to myself just thinking about this conversation because clearly I wasn’t comprehending that strata can actually be made with bagels.

But OH IT CAN. And it is freaking delicious.

Everything Bagel Breakfast Strata

You guys are going to love this – you can prep it up to a day in advance so come the next morning you’ll have an amazing hearty breakfast dish to enjoy.

BONUS: Dishes and cleanup were already done the night before so all you have to worry about is getting the casserole in the oven and gathering around the table.

Or at least that’s the plan, right?  

what you need

• everything bagels (yes, the bagels – not the seasoning)
• eggs
• milk (see notes)
• medium white cheddar cheese
• feta (option to sub but highly recommend) 
• sun dried tomatoes
• fresh basil
• salt & pepper

How to Make Breakfast Strata

If you haven’t made a bagel strata before – or any breakfast strata – it’s actually really easy.

First make sure you’re using dried out or “day old” bagels. If you don’t have time to allow the bagels to dry out for a day, simply slice and toast them in oven at 300ºF for about 5-6 minutes.

Then cut the bagels into about 3/4″ cubes and place half of them in a greased two quart casserole dish.

Set those aside while you whisk together the milk and eggs, and eventually add in the cheese, sun dried tomatoes and basil.

Pour half of the egg mixture over the bagel cubes in the casserole dish, add the rest of the bagels and then cover with the remaining egg mixture.

Make sure everything is well mixed and cover before refrigerating overnight.

Some notes about this breakfast strata

The milk: I used unsweetened cashew because that is typically what I have on hand. Traditionally strata is made with half and half or whole milk but the unsweetened cashew lightens up this strata recipe a bit. Trust me, it’s still amazing. 

The cheese: I used a combination of feta and medium white cheddar. I’m all about the feta, so it’s kind of my go to. But I understand it’s not for everyone. You could sub cut up pieces of cream cheese or even crumbled goat cheese would work too.

Vegetarian recipe: This breakfast strata happens to be vegetarian friendly, but if you have meat lovers coming over crispy bacon or Italian sausage would be a great addition. Just make sure you cook it first, then add into the egg mixture.

However you decide to make this Everything Bagel Breakfast Strata, I know it’ll be a family favorite!

Let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a comment and review on the blog – I love hearing from you and it helps other readers learn more about the recipe too!

Xx 

Ashley

Everything Bagel Breakfast Strata

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★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Ashley
• Prep Time: 1 day
• Cook Time: 50 minutes
• Total Time: 24 hours 50 minutes
• Yield: 8-10 servings 1x

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Description

This Everything Bagel Breakfast Strata is the perfect brunch recipe. Made with feta, white cheddar cheese, sun dried tomatoes and basil, plus lightened up with non-dairy milk. Vegetarian recipe.

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Ingredients

• 7 cups cubed everything bagels (about 4 large bagels)
• 8 large eggs
• 2 cups milk of choice (I used cashew, see notes)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes
• 4oz shredded medium white cheddar cheese (1 cup)
• 4oz crumbled feta (1/2 cup)
• 1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped

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Instructions

1. Bake bagels if not dried out enough: Preheat oven to 300ºF and get large rimmed baking sheet out. Slice bagels in half; place on sheet  and bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Place bagels on cutting board and use large serrated knife to cut into 3/4″ cubes. Save any bagel seasoning that falls off to add to egg mixture later.
2. In a large bowl whisk together eggs and milk; stir in grated cheddar cheese, feta, sun dried tomatoes and basil.
3. Add 1/2 of the cubed bagels to greased baking dish and pour half of the egg mixture over bagels. Then add the remaining bagels and egg mixture. Press down into the mixture to ensure the bagels are  covered. Cover dish with wrap or lid; refrigerate for at least 6 hours, up to 1 day in advance.
4. Remove baking dish from fridge and press down mixture again if needed to make sure bagel tops are coated. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Bake breakfast strata for 40-50 minutes, until edges are golden. Allow dish to rest for 15-20 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

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Notes

Whole milk or half and half is traditionally used in strata. It will give it a little bit of a richer texture, but non-dairy milk like cashew will lighten it up a bit.

I used a 2 quart casserole dish and my strata needed about 50 minutes. If using a large dish like a 9×13 size, your strata may take less time.

• Category: breakfast
• Method: oven
• Cuisine: American

Keywords: strata, bagel strata, holiday brunch recipes

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