Make-ahead breakfast strata with hearty greens and cheddar makes brunch easy

I have a love-hate relationship with breakfast. I love eating it, but I hate cooking it. If I could just have my own chef, things would be perfect. But since I live in the real world and not the rich world, this is not my life. That means I gotta make breakfast myself. Sigh.

Luckily for me, breakfast doesn’t have to mean hours in the kitchen. This simple dish can be prepared the night before and then just popped into the oven in the morning. Plus it’s a great use for bread that is just a little stale.

Hearty greens and cheddar breakfast strata recipe

Serves 6

Prep time: 10 minutes | Inactive time: 12 hours | Cook time: 45 minutes | Total time: 12 hours 55 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 pound chopped hearty winter greens (kale, Swiss chard or mustard greens) 
• 5 eggs
• 1-1/4 cups whole milk
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• 4 cups 1-inch diced bread

Directions:

1. Spray a 9 x 9-inch dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. To a small skillet set over medium heat, add the butter. Once the butter has melted, add in the chopped greens, and sauté quickly just to soften them. Remove from the heat, and let cool.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, Dijon mustard, kosher salt and pepper.
4. To the bowl of eggs, add the greens, 3/4 cup of shredded cheese and the cubed bread. Stir to combine, and let the bread soak up the egg mixture for about 5 minutes.
5. Once the mixture has been mixed and has rested, pour it into the prepared baking dish, and sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese.
6. Cover with foil, and let rest in the fridge overnight.
7. In the morning, heat the oven to 350 degrees F, and bake uncovered for about 45 minutes or until the mixture is toasted on top and warm in the middle.

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