A strata is a great casserole for a homemade brunch. This breakfast strata is made with croissants instead of standard bread, caramelized onions, bacon and cheese. YUM!
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Today, we’re indulging in the ultimate morning delight: a decadent breakfast strata made with buttery croissants, caramelized onions, crispy bacon, and melty cheese.
Imagine the aroma of caramelized onions perfuming your kitchen, mingling with the savory scent of sizzling bacon. Picture golden croissants soaked in a rich egg custard, perfectly balanced by the ooey-gooey goodness of melted cheese. This breakfast strata is a symphony of flavors, a harmony of textures, and a celebration of all things delicious.
Whether you’re hosting a brunch, treating your family to a special morning feast, or simply indulging in a self-care weekend breakfast, this recipe will awaken your taste buds and bring joy to your table.
For a less indulgent breakfast option, try this Egg White Frittata!
Why You’ll Love This Strata Recipe
- Croissants are so much better than standard bread!
- It’s cheesy.
- It’s sweet, salt and smoky from the caramelized onions and bacon.
- Make it ahead and reheat it when you’re ready to serve.
- It feeds a crew, with lots of leftovers.
Strata Recipe Ingredients
- Croissants – instead of standard bread, we’re using buttery croissants as the base for our strata.
- Eggs – eggs create a strata!
- Whole milk – whole milk helps create the eggy custard base.
- Grated Emmenthaler or Jarlsberg cheese – Emmenthaler or Jarlsberg are Swiss cheeses that are great melting cheeses.
- Grated parmesan cheese – parmesan is a flavorful, nutty cheese that adds flavor.
- Bacon – bacon adds smoky, meatiness.
- Yellow onions – yellow onions make the best caramelized onions!
- Fresh chives – fresh chives add a pop of green.
- Butter – butter helps us caramelize onions.
- Balsamic vinegar – balsamic vinegar adds a subtle tang that cuts the richness of the other ingredients.
How to Make Strata
Full instructions in the recipe card; this is just an outline!
- Caramelize onions.
Cook onions in butter over medium-high heat until golden. Add balsamic and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from pot and let cool.
- Toast croissants.
Grease a 9×13 baking pan. Spread torn croissants and bake for 10-15 minutes until crispy.
- Cook bacon.
Fry bacon until crispy, then remove and let cool in a separate bowl.
- Mix.
Whisk eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Add half of the cheese and pour mixture over croissants.
- Assemble.
Add bacon and caramelized onions evenly throughout the pan. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
- Chill.
Refrigerate strata for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- Bake.
Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes until set and golden brown on top.
- Serve.
Let it rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Strata Recipe Substitutions and Additions
Instead of bacon and caramelized onion, here are some other flavor ideas for this croissant breakfast strata:
- Veggie: like spinach, pepper, mushroom and cherry tomato
- Mediterranean: with kalamata olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and herbs
- Ham or sausage
- Meatless (just remove the bacon)
- Try different cheeses like gruyere, mozzarella, fontina, or cheddar
- Apple: add sliced apples and a drizzle of maple syrup
What to Serve With Strata
When serving a breakfast strata, consider these awesome side dish options:
- Fresh fruit salad
- Breakfast Potatoes
- A simple salad
- Breakfast meats (sausage, ham)
- Yogurt and granola parfait
- Toast, bread or Popovers
- Coffee, tea or juice
- Zucchini Muffins, Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins, or Banana Bread Muffins
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
A strata is a baked breakfast casserole dish made with layers of bread, eggs, cheese, and other ingredients, resulting in a savory and satisfying meal often enjoyed for breakfast or brunch.
A frittata is an open-faced Italian omelette, while a strata is a baked casserole dish consisting of layered bread, eggs, and other ingredients.
Enjoy the strata within 5 days.
Yes, absolutely! This strata is an excellent made ahead brunch.
Reheat strata at 350 degrees, covered, until hot. The amount of time depends on how much strata you are reheating. A full pan can take about 30 minutes vs a slice can take 5 minutes.
While it can be frozen, the texture may be somewhat different when reheated. Thaw the strata overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
More Breakfast Recipes You’ll Love!
- How to Make Scrambled Eggs
- Breakfast Potatoes
- Blueberry Pancakes
- Egg White Frittata
- Quiche Florentine
Croissant Strata
Equipment
- 9×13" pan
Ingredients
- 6 croissants, torn into quarters
- 8 large eggs
- 3 medium yellow onions, cut into strips
- 3 cups whole milk
- 3 cups grated Emmenthaler or Jarlsberg cheese
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 pound bacon, cut into small pieces
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 small handful chives
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Place butter and onions in a pot. Let onions caramelize, covered, for about 15 minutes over medium-high heat, turning often. When onions turn golden, add balsamic and stir. Let caramelize for an additional 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove onions from pot and let cool.
- Grease a 9×13" baking pan. Spread out torn croissants in pan, and bake for 10-15 minutes until croissants are nicely toasted and crispy.
- While croissants are toasting, cook bacon in a pot over medium-high heat until crispy, about 10-15 minutes. Remove bacon from pot with a slotted spoon and let cool in a separate bowl.
- Whisk together eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Add half of the cheese. Stir. Pour mixture evenly over croissants.
- Add bacon and caramelized onions evenly throughout pan. Evenly sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the strata.
- Refrigerate strata for at least 30 minutes, or even overnight. Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Snip chives over the top of the strata before baking for 50-55 minutes, until egg mixture is set in the middle and the top is deep golden brown.
- Wait 10-15 minutes before slicing. Delicious served warm or room temp!
Video
Notes
- Keeps well for up to 5 days in the fridge.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Fantastic. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Don! Happy New Year!
Grace
One of the best dishes our whole family has ever had!
Tina,
Woohoo! So great to hear!
Grace
This was fantastic and a complete hit for Christmas morning. I added sautéed mushrooms. Everyone loved it!!
Hi Mindy,
So happy it turned out great! Thanks for letting me know. Happy New Year!
Grace
Not bad, but not special. Too many onions. Everyone in my family thought it was just OK.
Hi T.L.,
I’m so sorry the strata was just okay! I wish I could help make it 5 stars for you and your family. Please let me know if there’s any way I can help. I hope you had a Merry Christmas!
Grace
Is the bacon cooked or not before adding it to the casserole?
Hi There,
Yes! The bacon is cooked. Refer to step #3 in the recipe card: While croissants are toasting, cook bacon in a pot over medium-high heat until crispy, about 10-15 minutes. Remove bacon from pot with a slotted spoon and let cool in a separate bowl. I hope this helps!
Grace
I made this recipe for my Bible study breakfast this morning and it was a hit. I had several requests for the recipe and people were so surprised that I used croissants for the base. I don’t know that I could ever go back to using regular sourdough bread, or any other kind of white bread. The aromas coming from this dish were amazing. Thank you for posting this delicious recipe. I’ll be making this again & again.
Hi Kirsten,
This is so amazing to hear! Thank you so much for your kind note. I really appreciate you letting me know!
Grace
We were all a bit Leary of this, as we’ve never had a savory casserole like this before, but my brave don wanted to try it, so we made it. We couldn’t find the kind of cheese stayed here so we subbed with Swiss.
It was absolutely delicious and even my picky 9 year old who claims to not like onions asked for seconds both days we had it. Will definitely make it again!
Hi Audrey,
Woohoo! So glad this was a big success! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Grace
Can this be made ahead and then freeze it? If so bake it first? And on the reheat, temp and length of time?
Thank you!
Hi Jan,
While it can be frozen, the texture may be somewhat different when reheated. Thaw the strata overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat the strata in the oven at 350 until heated through (time depends on amount reheated). This will help to restore some of the texture and crispness.
I hope this helps!
Grace
How many servings does this strata provide?
Hi! About 12 slices depending on how big you cut them!
Grace
Can I use Swiss cheese instead
Yes! Emmenthaler is actually the original swiss cheese.
Grace
Thanks for the quick reply! Merry Christmas!
Anytime! Merry Christmas!
Grace