Sarra Ina Garten’s breakfast strata is an overnight breakfast casserole loaded with cremini mushrooms, leeks, pancetta, and Gruyère cheese in a rich egg custard. It serves 8 to 10 and bakes in about 50 minutes.
Ina calls it her Mushroom & Leek Bread Pudding in Barefoot Contessa Foolproof, but it’s built exactly like a strata: cubed bread soaked in an egg and cream custard, layered with cheese, and baked until puffed and golden. She created it as an alternative to stuffing because she says a stuffed turkey “needs to cook longer” and “you end up with dry turkey and soggy stuffing.” It works just as well as a make-ahead breakfast.
The 30-minute soak is the step you can’t rush. The bread cubes need time to absorb the custard so the inside stays moist while the top gets crusty and browned. Skip it and you get dry bread floating in wet custard instead of one cohesive dish.
Ina Garten’s Breakfast Strata (Overnight Breakfast Casserole)
Course: BreakfastCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy10
servings30
minutes50
minutes420
kcalIna’s Mushroom & Leek Bread Pudding from Foolproof, adapted as a make-ahead breakfast strata. This overnight breakfast casserole only gets better after a night in the fridge, and bakes off in the morning while you make coffee.
Ingredients
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6 cups (1/2-inch-diced) bread cubes from a rustic country loaf, crusts removed
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2 tablespoons olive oil
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1 tablespoon unsalted butter
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2 oz (57g) pancetta, small-diced
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4 cups sliced leeks, white and light green parts (4 leeks)
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1 1/2 lbs (680g) cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed, caps sliced
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1/4 inch thick
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1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves
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1/4 cup (60ml) medium or dry sherry
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Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
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1/3 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
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4 extra-large eggs
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1 1/2 cups (360ml) heavy cream
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1 cup (240ml) chicken stock, preferably homemade
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1 1/2 cups (170g) grated Gruyère cheese, divided
Directions
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Toast the bread: Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Spread the bread cubes on a sheet pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Set aside.
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Cook the pancetta and vegetables: Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook for 5 minutes until starting to brown. Add the leeks and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until tender. Add the mushrooms, tarragon, sherry, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring now and then, until most of the liquid evaporates. Stir in the parsley off the heat.
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Make the custard: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, chicken stock, and 1 cup of the Gruyère.
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Combine and soak: Add the toasted bread cubes and the mushroom mixture to the custard. Stir well. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes so the bread absorbs the liquid.
- Bake: Stir again and pour into a 9x13x2-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Gruyère on top. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the top is browned and the custard is set. Serve hot.
FAQs
Why is this better assembled the night before?
This is the kind of overnight breakfast casserole that actually improves with time. Ina designed it for making ahead.
Combine the custard, bread, and mushroom mixture in the baking dish, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, take it out while the oven preheats.
The cold dish will need about 5 to 10 extra minutes in the oven. Look for a set custard and golden brown top before pulling it out.
Why does Ina toast the bread cubes first?
Toasted bread holds its shape in the custard instead of dissolving into mush. It also creates texture: the cubes on top get crispy while the ones underneath stay soft and custardy.
Fresh bread absorbs too much liquid too fast and you end up with a soggy, flat strata instead of one that puffs up in the oven.
What can you use instead of pancetta?
Thick-cut bacon works well. Dice it the same size and cook it the same way. The smokiness is a little different from pancetta but it pairs just as well with the mushrooms and leeks.
For a vegetarian version, skip the pancetta and add an extra tablespoon of butter when you cook the leeks. You lose the salty, meaty bits but the mushrooms and Gruyère carry enough flavor on their own.
Why do the mushrooms need to cook until the liquid evaporates?
Mushrooms release a lot of water when they cook. If you add them to the custard while they’re still wet, the extra liquid makes the strata soggy and it won’t set properly in the oven.
Ina cooks them for a full 10 to 12 minutes so all that moisture burns off. You want them browned and concentrated, not gray and steaming. This is the same technique she uses across every mushroom recipe in her cookbooks.
Does Ina have other strata variations?
Yes. She has two more savory bread puddings built on the same technique.
The Leek & Artichoke Bread Pudding from Make It Ahead uses artichoke hearts, chives, white wine, and Emmentaler Swiss cheese. The Herb & Apple Bread Pudding from Cooking for Jeffrey adds celery, Granny Smith apple, and rosemary with Gruyère.
All three use the same base method: toasted bread, sautéed vegetables with pancetta, egg and cream custard, cheese on top, 30-minute soak, then bake.
