I was going through my freezer yesterday and I found several packages of frozen hotdog and hamburger buns. Not whole packages just the two or three leftovers after a package of hotdogs were cooked. There was a mix of brands and even a mix of types; brioche, Hawaiian, potato, wheat, and white were all present. I always thought it weird that buns and hot dogs did not come in the same amounts. According to Google, the reason is because historically butchers sold hotdogs by the pound and 10 hotdogs equals a pound. Bakeries use 8 bun pans that bake buns in 2 groups of 4, making the average package of 8 buns. Whenever I have leftover buns, I freeze them to use later. I use them for garlic bread in the air fryer, to make croutons for soup or for a strata.
An American invention, strata is a family of layered casserole dishes. The earliest recipe has been found in a 1902 book, Handbook of Household Science by Juniata L. Shepperd, an instructor of “cookery and laundering” at the University of Minnesota. In it, she described layering bread, white sauce (like bechamel), and cheese, then baking it in a buttered dish.
A strata is similar to many egg-based dishes, but simpler. Whereas quiche requires a crust, a frittata requires flipping, gratins require breadcrumbs, and souffles require whipped egg whites, a strata can be thrown together with basic ingredients and almost no prep at all. Easy, endlessly adaptable and always ready when you are, a strata is like the unicorn of breakfast dishes: a bit magical. And it doesn’t even need to be breakfast food, necessarily. This casserole, based on bread soaked in dairy and eggs and baked, is a hearty and welcome dish any time of day.
Commit this simple formula to heart, and you’ll never need a recipe again: Pour 1 part each egg and milk, over 2 parts cubed bread, as well as 1 part each cheese and additions like precooked meat, veggies or beans. My mom used a mix of bread types in her strata’s. Yep, whatever she found in the freezer which worked surprisingly well. For a sweet strata, skip the cheese and add berries or bananas for the filling. And a splash of vanilla. For a dairy free version, use dairy-free milk alternatives, like almond or soy milk, and dairy-free cheese. For a lower calorie and fat strata, use 2% milk and low-fat cheese.
The layers start with a buttered baking dish, then the bread, then any other ingredients; cheese, meat, and veggies. Then, cover these with the egg and milk mixture, topping it all with a layer of cheese. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight (8 hours) to allow the egg mix to permeate the bread.
Strata recipes often call for day-old bread because when it’s dried out a bit, the bread keeps its shape better and resists turning into a gloppy mess. When using frozen (or fresh) bread, let it thaw and then toast it to dry it out. The dryer it is the more it will absorb the custard sauce overnight. Liberally butter and toast slices of a firm textured bread in a 250°F oven on a sheet pan for 10 minutes, turning once. Let them cool then cube them before layering the strata.
The length of time you bake it will, of course, depend on the volume of your dish. But generally speaking, a strata is fully baked when the center no longer jiggles. Remove when finished, and allow to cool a few minutes before digging in.
Here are two strata recipes that I like, one sweet and one savory.
Blueberry Strata
Ingredients
Strata:
cooking spray
1 loaf French bread, cubed
1 ½ cups blueberries (If frozen blueberries, thaw & drain them before adding them to the strata)
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, cut into ½-inch cubes
12 large eggs
⅓ cup maple syrup
2 cups milk
Blueberry Syrup:
1 ½ cups white sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 ½ cups water
1 ½ cups fresh blueberries
1 ½ tablespoons butter
Directions
Coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place half the bread cubes in the dish; top with 1 ½ cups
blueberries. Scatter cream cheese over berries. Cover with remaining bread cubes. In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, maple syrup, and milk. Pour egg mixture over bread in dish. Cover, and chill overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake strata, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove cover, and bake for an additional 30 minutes. While the strata is baking, prepare the blueberry syrup. Combine sugar, cornstarch, and water in a saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat; cook for 5 minutes. Pour in remaining 1 ½ cups blueberries; continue cooking for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in butter. Serve warm over slices of the strata.
Breakfast Strata
Ingredients
9 slices bread, torn into bite size pieces
½ cup diced fresh mushrooms
½ cup chopped green bell pepper
16 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded
½ cup chopped onion
2 cups cubed cooked ham
8 eggs
2 cups milk
Directions
Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish. Layer half of the torn bread in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle the mushrooms and green bell pepper evenly over the bread layer. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Top with remaining bread pieces, then layer with the onion and ham. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Whisk together eggs and milk; pour over the entire pan. Cover with aluminum foil, and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).Bake covered for 35 minutes, then remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until top is evenly brown. Cook’s Note: You may substitute cooked bacon or sausage for the ham, if you prefer.