Bacon, Broccoli & Cheese Strata

I make a lot of quiche, strata and frittatas because in my mind they're pretty versatile.  They make a wonderful breakfast, they're perfect for brunches, or crowds and they make a nice, light dinner when paired with a salad.  They are quick and easy to make, help me use up a lot of leftovers, and are usually something everyone will eat.



Though most people know what a quiche is few people know exactly what a strata or a frittata is.  Basically put a strata is a quiche that does not use a crust but diced bread as it's base and a frittata uses neither pie crust or bread but cooked potatoes.  In my opinion they are all pretty delicious!

This weekend I decided to make a few stratas because I am saving my pie crusts for my apple pies and I had a lot of fresh bread left over that was starting to get a bit hard around the edges.  I figured a strata (or two!) would be a great way to use it up.

I diced up the bread and found that I had enough to cover two pie plates.


 I sprinkled the bread chunks with all of my toppings.  I used thawed and drained frozen broccoli, a few slices of cooked bacon and a 1/2 cup or so of shredded cheese.


Next I mixed up my egg mixture.  I used a can of fat free evaporated milk, 4 eggs, salt, pepper, a bit of minced onion, and a 1/2 tsp minced garlic.  I beat them all together until nice and frothy then poured over my bread mixture. 


I usually use the back of a spoon or spatula to press everything down neatly into the pan and so that everything is in the egg mixture and not floating on top of it.


Then I popped the strata into the oven at 350 for 45 minutes.  I know it's done when a knife inserted about an inch or so from the middle comes out clean.  Then I set it on the counter to cool.  

Once they are cool I almost always wrap them in foil and stick them in the freezer.  They make a wonderful last minute meal on the nights I don't have time to throw anything together.  



Since I had enough bread for two stratas I also made a spinach, mushroom and cheese one!

Make sure to thaw and drain the frozen chopped spinach (if using fresh cook it down in a pan first and drain the water).


I sprinkled some spinach, some cooked mushrooms, and a 1/2 cup cheese over the bread cubes. 


Poured the same milk and egg mixture over it all. (Though I sometimes have leftover egg mixture depending on the size of my pie plate). 


 Then I cooked this strata at the same time as the other one.  So now I have two more meals in the freezer and I just need a salad to serve with them.



Broccoli, Bacon and Cheese Strata:

Leftover bread (a few slices); cubed.  Enough to cover the bottom of a pie plate
1 cup thawed chopped broccoli
3 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
1/2 cup shredded cheese of your choice
1 can evaporated skim milk
4 large eggs
1/4 cup minced onion
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste

1.  Dice bread and cover the bottom of the pie plate.
2.  Top bread with toppings: broccoli, bacon, and cheese.
3.  Beat the evaporated milk, eggs, onion, garlic, salt and pepper together.  Pour over egg mixture.
4.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted 1 inch from the center comes out clean.
5.  Cool for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

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Comments

  1. I love making quiches and stratas as well. They are great to have on hand and make excellent leftovers too! This recipe looks absolutely yummy xo

    Carla aka Mrs R @ SimplifyLifeWithMrsR.com

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    Replies
    1. All of the reasons I enjoy making them so much. :)

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  2. This looks amazing! I could really enjoy eating this :) Thanks for sharing at Together on Tuesdays.

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  3. I didn't realize these were so easy to make! And now I know what to do with that slightly old bread! Thank you for sharing these -- now I have dinner ideas for tonight!

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    Replies
    1. Oh good! Glad I could help! :) They really are quite easy. I can't even say I measure anything anymore. I often use more eggs or add in some skim milk instead; it really is pretty hard to mess up.

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  4. You are right. This one is for me!! Pinning! Thank you so much for linking at #overthemoon! I look forward to seeing what you share every week. Please come back next week and allow us to promote your content!

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  5. I love recipes like this and haven't made a strata in a long time, this combo sounds wonderful, thank you!
    Jenna

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  6. We sure enjoyed featuring your awesome post with us at Full Plate Thursday,456 this week. We have pinned your post to the Features From Full Plate Thursday Board. Thanks so much for sharing your talent with us and hope you will come back soon.
    Miz Helen

    ReplyDelete

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